The Judge
by Pinkehart
Summary: Artemis Becker lived her life as a court judge in Nevada for a couple of years. Never taking time off to relax and only thinking about her future. However, her future changed when the locket she always carried sent her hurtling through the Doctor's timeline. Now faced with new challenges, she must figure out what to do. [9-13th Doctors] [Doctor x OC]
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE - Vincent and the Doctor**

Artemis had kept sight of her future for as long as she could remember. Starting out by becoming an A student in high school and further her academic career as she shortly became one of the youngest judges in US history. But her fight didn't stop there, Artemis continued to strive to become excellence in human form. Her goals could topple those striving to be a king or queen. But these goals could be seen as unattainable to anyone with a sane mind. Her mind challenged those who fought for cures but her mind was used to treat those with fairness and find the guilty among the innocent.

With many changes within her work and day to day life, there was a constant that lived with her, or rather, on her. A golden locket, inscribed with delicate engravings composed of circles and lines. On the back, a single word, Judge.

Perhaps this locket with such a vague word is what caused Artemis to strive to become what she was then. A word she looked at every day, a word she had become. However, she would soon know this word would mean more than just Juris Doctor degree in college.

The silence of an empty courtroom comforted Artemis. Her mind could focus on the task at hand when she was left to nothing but her own thoughts. As her mind worked, so did her hand as she scribbled out notes onto her crisp sheet of paper.

The latest court case had been tough for her. Finding a husband guilty of abusing their own wife was a tough call to make. However, someone had to do it. Her conscience was clean as she signed a paper, condemning the man to the law.

In her free time, Artemis could relax in the comfort of her home. Watching re-runs of old movies and TV shows, she didn't know the name of. Guilty pleasures filled her void as she de-stressed from a hard day. One of these was a show, known by many as Doctor Who. Artemis had never been a die-hard fan of any series or movie, rather, spending that time thinking of the future. But along with her silence and guilty pleasures, there was another comfort in the room. Her locket.

Artemis took hold of her locket as times got rough. Her hand grasping over the usually cool metal surface when her mind tried to find an answer for a tough problem. But this time, when her fingertips grazed the metal, they were met with harsh heat.

Artemis winced as she placed her fingers inside her mouth, a normal reflex to any human when injured. Pulling the sleeve of her blouse over her palm, she carefully lifted the locket to her eyes view. With a covered hand, she flipped the locket over on her palm. The warmth from the locket melted into her skin as she tried to find the cause of the heat.

Her eyes glazed over the crack where the two sides of the locket met, a low red glow seeping out. Artemis' eyes narrowed as she watched the glow grow larger, causing the warmth in her hand to turn into a blistering heat, even though she had a layer of cloth to protect it. With steady fingers, Artemis grasped the sweltering locket and clicked the side of it, where the broken clasps met. Heat met Artemis' face as a bright light shone from the locket. Uninteligeabile mutters rose from the light and surrounded her ears, whispering soft words to her. She gasped as the heat transferred to her own skin, growing and warming her flesh.

Her body grew hot and her skin began to glow a soft light as the whispers swelled. The hand that was holding the locket jerked away as the heat became too intense, letting the locket swing freely from her neck.

Artemis stared down at her hand that once held the locket. Red skin blistered and in the delicate skin, a faint 'J' sizzled on her palm. She winced as she gently touched it. Her eyes widened as her palms began to glow the same color that the locket had been. Artemis gasped for air as a faint beating shook her chest that felt foreign. She clawed at her shirt, as it now felt constricting on her chest. The warmth surrounded her whole body as a faint glow shone from her skin, blinding her eyes.

Her mind was then suddenly invaded by unknown knowledge. Knowledge about a distant and fictional planet. A planet, at least, she thought was fiction. Knowledge of another life she lived. An unexplained life on this planet. Gallifrey.

Suddenly, she felt light as a feather. Her feet no longer touched the ground of the courtroom, rather they felt the ground of a different place. A glass floor cooled her burning skin as she opened her eyes to see something amazing.

Artemis gasped out loud as she saw the familiar interior of the Tardis. Beams surrounded the outline of the Tardis, holding it in place. Random objects lay strewn about the place, giving it a lived-in feeling. And at the center of it all was the controls. A beautiful glass column was covered in buttons and levers that lit up. An orange hue of light covered the room. It looked like something out of a fairytale. Something out of a dream she wondered.

Artemis gripped the railing next to her as she struggled to get up. But she grimaced as her burnt hand accidentally touched the railing. Her mind was questioning everything. Why she now had a whole new life stuck in her head. Why her locket burned to the touch and shined like the sun. Why she was in what looked like the Tardis. And why she could hear someone calling out.

"Judge!" a familiar voice called out. A voice she had heard in a tv show.

Artemis stood up on shaky feet to see the familiar face of Amy Pond. Her bright orange locks swayed as she walked over to Artemis, who stood in confusion.

"Karen? I-I um… what?" Artemis stammered out, her grip tight on the railing.

Not long after Amy met Artemis' shaking body, the Doctor rounded the control center. However, he stopped short, taking in her shivering and scared body language.

"Artemis?" The Doctor spoke cautiously. He took small steps toward her, careful not to scare her even more.

Artemis' eyes widened as she stared at what she thought was Matt Smith. Her eyes racked him up and down for an answer to why he was there.

"How do you know my name?" Artemis demanded with a frail voice. Her back leaned against the railing, trying to get as much room away from the pair.

"Doctor, what's happening? Didn't she say earlier that this was her first time?" Amy whispered under her breath.

The Doctor looked over to Amy for a second but ignored her question, instead, he asked Artemis, "Artemis… You know who we are right?"

Artemis' eyes widened and then furrowed in confusion. Her grip on the railing loosened as she cleared her throat. "You're… The Doctor," She said with a weak voice. Her gaze moved over to Amy's intense stare. "And you're Amelia Pond."

The Doctor smiled softly and stuck a hand out for her to grip. Slowly, Artemis placed her palm up into his awaiting hand. And with a gentle touch, the Doctor traced the 'J' engraved in her skin. "Of course you know who we are," the Doctor breathed out. "You've always known."

Artemis hastily took her hand away from the Doctor, cradling it next to her chest. But once she did, she gasped, feeling a foreign beating next to her hand. With an open palm, she placed her hand against her chest, feeling for the beating. Right next to her normal heart, was the rhythmic beating of another. She looked down at her locket and then back up at the pair, who were still standing by here, waiting for her response.

"I-I don't understand," Artemis confessed.

"You don't have too," the Doctor spoke. "I'll explain."

The Doctor guided Artemis to a seat that was placed right next to the control center. She sat frigid, picking at her nails.

"This is your first time jumping."

Artemis' head tilted slightly in confusion as she looked up at the Doctor, who leaned against the control center. She parted her lips slightly, wanting to ask what he meant, but he quickly stopped her.

"Basically… you're a Time Lord. Well, rather, a Time Lady."

Artemis' mouth gaped as she took in this new information. Her hand grazed over her chest as she felt the new beating.

"And you… well, you… you kind of jump all over my timeline. We never meet in the right order," the Doctor spoke sheepishly. "That locket you are wearing." He glanced down to see her locket dangling from her neck. "That is the source of it all. But I still haven't figured out why."

Artemis nodded silently and slowly, taking in this new idea of life as she stood up. Her hand unknowingly gripped the same locket that the Doctor spoke of. She stood silently for a moment, processing it all.

"Do I ever go back?"

The Doctor smiled softly with sad eyes, "No, I'm afraid not."

Artemis' breath caught in her throat. She played with the locket between her fingers, trying to get rid of this new anxiety.

"Where are you now?" Artemis asked the Doctor quietly.

The Doctor only grinned as he turned around a pulled a level, sending the Tardis shaking as he sent them off into the void of space.

"We," the Doctor looked over to Amy and then back to Artemis. "Are going to see none other than Vincent Van Gogh!"

Artemis held on to the railing next to her as she struggled to keep her balance. The Tardis shook and rumbled as it flew through time and space. A chuckle escaped her lips as she watched the Doctor flail about the Tardis.

"Wait," Artemis' eyes widened. "Vincent Van Gogh? Does that mean Ro-" Artemis eyed Amy's smiling figure clinging to the center panel carefully before she looked over at the Doctor.

The Doctor looked over to Artemis cautiously, nodding slowly. His eyes told a different story than his face.

Throughout the show, Artemis always heard that his eyes always stayed the same and grew old with him, unlike his body that constantly regenerated. But now, she could truly see how much the eyes of the Doctor were true. Artemis parted her lips, ready to speak to the Doctor about that topic, but before she could, the Tardis shuttered and shook Artemis free from her grip on the railing, sending her toppling to the floor.

Without hesitation, gentle arms lifted her back up. The Doctor silently did so without recognition and spoke out to the two women in the Tardis.

"I believe one Vincent Van Gogh is waiting for us."

Amy laughed at this and joyfully skipped over to the Tardis door, while Artemis walked hesitantly over. The skin around her nails was picked at and red due to her constant picking. Artemis looked over her shoulder one last time at the orange hue of the Tardis before she stepped outside the Tardis doors.

The Tardis had landed on an empty alleyway with cobblestone floorings. The sound of cats meowing and dogs barking echoed in their ears. Artemis stood in awe at the faint glow of the street. The smell of fresh food and smoke filled her nose. However, she couldn't gaze at just the street for long, because not soon after the Doctor stepped out fully and began to walk down the alleyway.

"Right, so, here's the plan," the Doctor spoke rapidly, Amy trailing behind him. "We find Vincent and he leads us straight to the church and our nasty friend."

"Easy peasy," Amy hummed out happily.

Artemis followed behind the pair, watching closely at the interaction between the two.

"Well, no, I suspect nothing will be easy with Mr. Van Gogh," the Doctor confessed. He briefly turned around in his step to see Artemis staring at the pair, keeping her distance.

"What are you doing back there?" the Doctor asked Artemis with a half-smile on his face. "Come on up here." He gestured toward the opposite side of him.

Hesitantly, Artemis took long steps forward to close the gap and rested at a steady pace alongside the Doctor and Amy.

"Now," the Doctor continued with his previous topic. "He'll probably be in the local cafe." He glanced at Artemis for a split second, almost as if he was checking up on her. Waving his hands about, the Doctor said, "Sort of… orangey light, chairs, and tables outside."

Amy opened up a book, filled with amazing pieces of art that were created by none other than Vincent Van Gogh. Her fingers flipped through the pages before they stopped on the familiar painting of a cafe. "Like this," Amy confirmed.

Artemis' eyes glanced over at the booklet of art for a second and then looked up to see the exact place they had been looking for. The glow of the lights lit up the dark street, giving it a warm feeling. Women dressed in maid cleaning outfits tidied up the tables that lay underneath the cover.

"Or indeed like that," Amy said while pointing a finger at the cafe. She giggled as she held up the photo of the painting of the cafe to compare it to the real thing.

"Ah, exactly like that," the Doctor affirmed. He took quick steps to the cafe, reaching a man, wearing a suit, working there. "Good evening! Does the name Vincent Van Gogh ring a bell?"

The man in the suit sighed out and quickly turned around, stepping back into the cafe as he muttered out, "Don't mention that man to me."

Artemis chuckled at the disgruntled look on the Doctor's face. His dejected expression caused Artemis to hold a soft smile on her face, almost making her forget about what happened to her an hour prior.

"Excuse me," the Doctor said in response to the man. He took notice of the smile on Artemis' face, smiling back at her. Although she technically knew of him for years, watching the tv show, she didn't know the Doctor personally. Whereas the Doctor had known about her for hundreds of years. This new and young Artemis was a shock to him. He knew eventually he would meet an Artemis that hadn't met him before, just as she had done to him once, but it still felt abnormal to him.

"Oi, what are you laughing at?" The Doctor teased Artemis.

Her laughs ceased as her face grew serious. But a smirk soon covered her expression. "Oh, nothing." Her giggles started up again as the Doctor was laughed at.

"Come on! Come on! One painting for one drink!"

Artemis heard yelling from inside the cafe. She already knew who would soon come out those doors.

"That's not a bad deal," Vincent said as he walked out of the cafe, the same man who the Doctor spoke to early leading him out with a painting in his hands.

"It wouldn't be a bad deal if the painting were any good," the man spoke harshly.

Artemis smiled widely as her eyes took in the man they were looking for, Vincent Van Gogh. The Doctor and Amy took were happy to see this man as they pointed at him and yelled silently. The Doctor sat down at the same table the women were cleaning earlier and Amy stood behind Vincent, jumping in glee. Artemis stood over the Doctor, her arms behind her back as she watched the exchange between the pair.

The man in the suit continued belittling Vincent. He held up the painting in his hands next to Vincent's face. "-let alone loaming over the customers day and night in a stupid hat," the man continued. "You pay money or you get out," the man demanded.

Artemis' eyes looked down at the Doctor's sitting form as he replied coolly, "I'll pay if you like."

"What?" Vincent's voice asked quickly, turning his body around to peer down at the Doctor.

"Well if you'd like, I'll pay for the drink. Or I'll pay for the painting and you can use the money to pay for the drink."

Artemis winced as she placed a calm hand on the Doctor's shoulder and squeezed it, letting him know that what he did wasn't the right thing. She looked back up at Vincent's confused face.

"Exactly who are you?"

"I-," the Doctor started to speak but was interrupted when Artemis spoke up.

"_We're_ new in town," Artemis glanced down at the Doctor with wide eyes, trying to keep in on course before she looked back up at Vincent and smiled friendly.

The Doctor looked up at her in a shocked expression before he slowly nodded his head. He looked over at Vincent and confirmed this statement with a, "Yes, exactly, new."

Vincent's eyes glazed over Artemis before he nodded his head and looked back down to the Doctor. "Well, in that case, you don't know three things. One, I pay for my own drinks, thank you."

The crowd around Vincent chuckled as he spoke this. Vincent ignored this and continued on. "Two, no one ever buys any of my paintings or they would be laughed out of town, so if you want to stay in town, I suggest you keep your cash to yourself."

Artemis' eyes widened as he spoke confidently on this topic, but they widened even more as he pointed to her and then Amy as he said, "And three, your friends are cute, but you should keep your big nose out of other people's business."

The Doctor looked up at Artemis in shock, who had her own expression of confusion and shock. She only grinned as she realized what had just happened.

Back in her own universe, she never thought about relationships. She was always too busy with her life goals to have a husband, unlike the other women her age. This was not to say that she never had a boyfriend. She had a handful throughout her years, however, she never stuck with them as she took more care in her future than the present.

The pair argued some more as Vincent pleaded for the man to give him a drink. Vincent and the cafe owner bickered back and forth, Vincent now holding his painting of himself in his arms.

Artemis rolled her eyes but smirked slightly, knowing what was to happen next. Behind Vincent, Amy scoffed and leaned against the cafe's door. "Oh, look, just shut up the pair of you!" She exclaimed.

Both the Doctor and Artemis smiled as Amy walked forward to Vincent and the cafe owner.

"I would like a bottle of wine, please, which I will then share with whomever I choose," Amy spoke, looking over at Vincent with a flirtatious smile on her face.

Vincent smiled back, confirmed what she said was good.

The four of them sat down at a table outside the cafe. Artemis sat next to the Doctor, who was keeping a close eye on her. Artemis held a glass of wine in her hand as she drank from it carefully. Across from her was Vincent who held a glass of wine in his hand, drinking it as he asked Amy.

"That accent of yours. You from Holland like me?"

"No," Amy replied, at the same time the Doctor said, "Yes."

Artemis rolled her eyes as she whispered over to Amy in a low tone, "Just go with it."

Vincent looked over the trio in front of him with curiosity. His gaze peered over Artemis' form, making her slightly uncomfortable. "And you," Vincent sighed out. "Your accent… you're from the United States?"

Artemis' eyes widened as she realized he was talking to her. She adjusted the way she sat in the wooden chair and cleared her throat before she spoke up. "Yes," she drawled hesitantly, looking over to the Doctor for confirmation.

All he did in response was shrug.

Rolling her eyes, she spoke with a clear and crisp voice, "I _am_ from America."

"Intriguing," Vincent replied carefully. "I've heard tales about such a new land." Vincent leaned forward, staring directly into Artemis' eyes, leaving her speechless. He rested his elbows against the table as he asked, "Tell me, are all the women from America quite as beautiful as you are?"

Artemis never had a chance to answer as suddenly, the Doctor's voice shot out.

"So!" the Doctor interrupted. "Start again. Hello, I'm the Doctor." He held his hand out to Vincent while pushing Artemis back into her chair a bit, making space between the pair.

"I knew it!" Vincent exclaimed, sitting back into his chair.

The Doctor frowned in confusion. "Sorry?"

"My brother's always sending doctors, but you won't be able to help."

"No, not that kind of doctor," the Doctor laughed nervously. He quickly pointed to the painted that laid by Vincent's chair, changing the subject. "That's incredible, don't you think, Artemis? Amy?" He prompted. Both of the girls nodded enthusiastically in response.

"Beautiful," Artemis confirmed at the unfinished painting.

"Absolutely. One of my favorites," Amy added.

Vincent glared at her, irritated by the trio. "One of my favorite whats? You've never seen my work before," He accused Amy.

Amy's eyes went wide as she nodded slowly, looking over to the Doctor and Artemis for help, only for them to shrug.

"Ah, yes," Amy hesitated, thinking of the right words to say. "One of my favorite paintings that I've ever seen," she rambled on, "Generally."

Vincent slowly studied his own painting for a moment. "Then you can't have seen many paintings, then." He placed it back down on the floor where it was originally. "I know it's terrible. It's the best I could do."

Artemis held a smile as she looked at Vincent with sad eyes. She breathed in before she spoke up. "Well, I think it's amazing."

Vincent looked over to her with a confused frown. His eyes darkened under his bushy eyebrows.

"Art doesn't all have to look the same," Artemis confessed. "Art can be paintings and poems, sculptures and buildings, songs and sketches." Artemis waved her hands about, exaggerating her point across, her eyes looking everywhere but at Vincent's piercing ones. She breathed out, a single sigh falling from her lips. "Art is beautiful, and so is yours."

Vincent was awe-struck. No one had ever said anything as amazing about his art as Artemis had just done. His once furrowed brows relaxed into a soft arch. His eyes that once held anger and guilt now held joy from Artemis' simple words. His now joyful eyes looked deeply into Artemis' green ones. Her clear green eyes looked like a sea of grass, waiting to be rolled in.

Awkwardly, Vincent cleared his throat and leaned across the table, smiling at Artemis. "Your words are kind. Thank you."

Artemis smiled back softly. She failed to notice the Doctor's delicate gaze on her as she spoke to Vincent. She failed to see how his eyes held a certain glow to them as he watched her uplift the painter. She failed to see the tender smile rested on his lips.

Turning his attention away from Artemis, Vincent looked over to Amy. "Your hair is orange."

Amy seemed to be taken back by this comment. However, she soon leaned forward, to meet the 19th-century painter in the middle, a smirk ever present on her lips. "Yes. So's yours," she replied haughtily.

"Yes," Vincent confirmed. "It was more orange, but now is, of course, less."

The Doctor groaned and rolled his eyes at the terrible flirting. Artemis only giggled at this exchange. Looking over to the Doctor, she saw how much this hurt him. The awkward flirts between the pair seemed like it physically hurt him.

"So, uh, Vincent," The Doctor interrupted the pair, leaning over the table as the two separated. "Painted any churches recently? Any churchy plans? Are churches, chapels, religiousy stuff like that, something you'd like to get into? You know, fairly soon?" The Doctor rambled on.

Vincent glanced down at the glass in his hand as he affirmed what the Doctor wanted to hear. "Well, there is one church I'm thinking of painting when the weather is right."

"That's very good news," the Doctor said happily.

Artemis' eyes widened as she soon realized what would happen. Her mind had been so enthralled with the fact that Vincent Van Gogh was sitting in front of her and speaking to her, that she forgot about the poor girl who would be murdered.

A shrill scream interrupted them as a woman ran up to the cafe, shaking in fear. She pleaded for help, her arms waving about, trying to get people's attention.

"That, on the other hand, isn't quite such good news," the Doctor stated. He stood up quickly, grabbing Artemis' hand unknowingly. She looked down at her hand, which was covered with the Doctor's large one in shock.

"Come on Amy, Vincent, Artemis," the Doctor shouted as he pulled Artemis up to her feet and dragged her along with him, the pair behind them following closely.

Artemis closed her eyes for a second as she realized what she would soon see around the corner. It was never fully shown in the show what the body looked like, but now, she got to see it in person, and that fact terrified her. It was a reality. She could die and never come back, or she could apparently regenerate and come back as a completely new person.

Amy shot up, following the Time Lord and Lady, and Vincent soon followed too, only after he drank the remainder of his glass and picked up his hat. The four of them followed the wailing woman to an alleyway where a crowd began to form.

The Doctor soon began to push past the crowd, trying to get to the center of the chaos. His hand still gripped Artemis' as he tried to pull her along, but she stood still, not fully knowing what she would see behind the sea of people. The Doctor looked back quickly in worry as she ripped her hand out of his, but he couldn't focus on her at the moment, he had another problem to solve.

"Please, let me look. I'm a Doctor," he declared as he pushed through the last row of people. He looked down only to see the body of a dead young woman on the ground. Her body was bruised and bleedy, obviously from someone or some_thing_ else's doing.

Artemis stayed to the back of the crowd, but her eyes could still see the puddle of blood flowing around them. She gulped as she saw, through the crowd, the Doctor kneeling down and muttering to himself, "Oh, no, no, no."

Vincent knelt down on the other side of the Doctor and they both shared a horrified look as they looked down at the battered body. She couldn't have been more than 18. Too young.

"Away," an unknown voice screamed. "All of you vultures! This is my daughter," a woman broke through the crowd and threw herself down on the ground next to the limp body and gently stroking its cheek. "Giselle," she cooed. "What monster could have done this?" She whipped her head around the glare at the Doctor and Vincent. "Get away from her!"

Artemis' hand found its way through the crowd and managed to get a hold of the Doctor's jacket, tugging him away from the grieving mother. Both the Doctor and Vincent jumped back, holding hands up to reassure the woman.

"Get that madman out of here!" She demanded, picking up a stone and throwing it at an innocent Vincent.

The crowd soon followed suit. People picked up stones and pummeled them at the Doctor and Vincent. They all shouted their blame at the red-haired man, accusing him of murder. A few stray stones hit Artemis, making her wince slightly in pain at the impact. Her grip on the Doctor's jacket never faltered as she tugged him down the alleyway, not looking back at the angry crowd.

She grimaced as a particularly large stone bounced off her arm, landing to the cobblestone ground. Artemis gripped the place where it hit her once they were out of harm's way. Her hand let go of the Doctor's jacket, instead, it lifted up the sleeve of her blouse, seeing a tender bruise starting to form.

The Doctor frowned in worry as he gently lifted her arm, inspecting the injury with close eyes. Artemis watched the Doctor with curiosity as he did so, as it was only a bruise. He narrowed his eyes down the alleyway, where they had just come from, detesting what the crowd had just done. Carefully, he dropped her arm after seeing it would be fine and looked over to Vincent, who got the brute of the anger thrown at him.

"Are you all right?" He asked the painter, concerned.

Vincent confirmed that he was alright, explaining that he was used to it.

"Has anything like this murder happened here before?"

Vincent thought for a moment. "Only a week ago. It's a terrible time," he explained.

The Doctor nodded to himself, taking in this new information. He slowly began to walk down the alleyway, deep in thought. Artemis stayed close to his side, watching for his reaction.

"As I thought, as I thought," the Doctor muttered. The Doctor paused mid-step and looked over his shoulder to Vincent. "Come on, we'd better get you home."

"Where are you staying tonight?" Vincent walked up to the pair. The Doctor grinned widely as Artemis rolled her eyes with a faint smile present on her lips.

The Doctor clapped him on the shoulder in a friendly manner. "Oh, you're very kind." He turned around and continued down the empty alleyway, Artemis following close.

Vincent watched curiously as he spotted the Doctor take quick glances down to the unsuspecting head of Artemis. He stared after them in a daze while Amy giggled nervously and jogged slightly to join the pair, who were already down the alley. Vincent sighed before he pulled on his hat, only following them a moment later.

* * *

~A/N~

This is my first time uploading to this site and I'm not sure exactly how it all works yet. I mainly use Wattpad and upload there more consistently. So if you want to head on over there, my username is the same as this sites.

But I hope you all enjoy this new story.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO - The Idiotic Spaceman**

Artemis' eyes glanced around the small home of Vincent Van Gogh. It was a short, stone house with many paintings hanging to dry just outside. The night sky looked amazing. Tiny lights flickered in the sky, filling up the dark canvas of night. In Las Vegas, Artemis never had the chance to view such a clear sky. The night sky was always filled with flashing neon lights and light pollution. But here, in 1890, there wasn't any of that. Instead, there were thousands of stars visible to the naked eye.

"Dark night, very starry," the Doctor declared, his eyes glued to the sky.

As they reached the quaint home Vincent spoke out. "It's not much. I live on my own." he gestured to the small stone home. "But you should be ok for one night. _One_ night," he emphasized as he rummaged through his pocket for matches to light up his home.

"We're going to stay with him?" Amy asked the Doctor and Artemis excitedly as they followed Vincent up to the entrance of his home.

"Where else would we go?" Artemis asked with a smile on her face.

The Doctor confirmed, "Until he paints that church."

Vincent struck a match, lighting up it before he lit up a lamp outside his front door and he removed his hat. As he stepped inside, he called out to the trio, "Watch out. That one's wet."

Artemis smiled as she looked at the painting he was talking about. 'Bedroom in Arles' hung in front of the door. It was a beautiful painting and a rather famous one. The way he used color and texture to express the mood of the room was unique, at least to the eyes of Artemis.

Inside, Vincent lit another lamp, illuminating the room. The trio paused at the doorway in awe of the paintings strewn about the room. Classic paintings dangled and hung around the small room, making it feel smaller. But the colors inside the room were bright and loud, making the room appear almost _alive_. Vincent caught all their stares and cleared his throat.

Sheepishly, he replied, "Sorry about all the clutter."

"Some clutter," the Doctor breathed out as he moved into the room, letting the girls in alongside him.

"I've come to accept the only person who's going to love my paintings is me," Vincent continued. "And well, maybe now a certain woman." His eyes glanced over at an oblivious Artemis, who was staring at one of the many paintings disregarded in the room.

The Doctor, too, looked over at Artemis with a grin. Even this early in her timeline, she was still as amazing as her older incarnations.

"Yeah, I know it's a mess. I'll have a proper clear-out. I must, I really must," Vincent sighed as he left for the kitchen to boil some water, leaving the trio alone for a moment.

"You better not!" Artemis called out to Vincent in the kitchen. "At least not without consulting me first!" She joked.

The Doctor walked over to the kitchen as Vincent asked, "Coffee, anyone?" The painter searched through his kitchen, trying to find a kettle to make fresh coffee. His kitchen wasn't anymore tidy than his bedroom. Paintbrushes were scattered around, most of them dirty with paint. But the odd few were clean.

Artemis grinned from the other room. "I would very much like some coffee!" She replied. Following in the Doctor's footsteps, she peered her head around the corner. The Doctor rolled his eyes and groaned playfully.

"You Americans and your coffee," the Doctor spoke out, teasing Artemis.

"Hey," Artemis lightly slapped the back of her hand against the Doctor's arm. "At least I'm not crazy for tea, unlike you British folk." She eyed Amy and the Doctor. She could never understand by the British obsessed over tea. Sure Americans had their own faults, but nothing like the British.

Vincent smiled as he placed the dirty kettle down on one of his paintings, clearly not caring for the outcome.

"You know," the Doctor began. "You should be careful with these, they're," he paused as Vincent, with the back of his hand, roughly wiped away the stained ring of coffee leftover by the kettle. "Precious."

Vincent looked over at the Doctor and Artemis, shaking off his wet hand that now smelt of coffee. "Not precious to me, not precious to anyone else," he said. When he said this, however, he glanced over to Artemis, who looked at him in dismay.

Amy suddenly appeared in the doorway and spoke with confidence, "They're precious to me!"

"And me," Artemis replied.

Vincent looked up from his kettle as he was pouring a cup of coffee for Artemis and smiled softly before turning back to his coffee. Silently, he handed a steaming cup of black coffee to Artemis' awaiting hands.

She grinned widely at the painter as she took the cup from his dirtied hands. Blowing on the top of the hot cup, she waited for it to cool down a bit before she took a slight sip. The bitter flavor of the coffee, along with the heat of it, attacked her taste buds and mouth. But she was used to it. After long nights studying in college and even longer days as a judge in Nevada, she had grown used to the familiar flavor of coffee.

"Well, you two are very kind. And kindness is most welcome," Vincent told the two girls sincerely.

"Right, so, this church then. Near here, is it?" The Doctor asked, clapping his hands together occasionally.

Vincent laughed out, "What is it with you and the church?" He grabbed pieces of wood from a pile that was by the fire in the kitchen.

"Oh, just casually interested in it, you know?" The Doctor spoke in a soft voice and with a shrug.

"Far from casual. Seems to me, you never talk about anything else," Vincent replied, throwing the wood pieces in the fire. "He's a strange one," he said, looking over to Artemis, who only nodded with a smile.

"You're pretty spot on with that," Artemis spoke with a light chuckle. She glanced over to the Doctor who looked at her dejectedly. Like a lost puppy who didn't get a toy. She just rolled her eyes in response to him, nodding her head in the direction of the great painter.

"Ok, so let's talk about you," the Doctor interjected, moving his gaze to Vincent. "What are you interested in?"

Vincent scoffed, almost as if he couldn't believe what the Doctor had asked was real. "Well look around," he gestured to the room as he finished placing another log to the flame. "Art. Well, it seems to me. That there is so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see." He sniffled, wiping his dirty hands on his pant leg.

The trio stood in silence, amazed by his words.

"I believe, if you look hard enough, there are more wonders in this universe than you could ever have dreamed of."

The Doctor grinned as he looked over to Artemis, who was calmly sipping her coffee, clearly enjoying her time with Vincent. "You don't have to tell me," he replied as he took a step closer to Artemis.

Artemis and the Doctor sat down in a wooden chair near each other. The Doctor had one leg crossed over another as he listened intently to what Vincent had to say. A warm fire lit up the room, making the house smell of burnt wood.

"It's color!" Vincent exclaimed, walking near to the Doctor, leaning down to him. "Color that holds the key! I can hear the colors," he whispered as he placed a cupped hand around his ear. "Listen to them." The Doctor leaned in slightly, almost as if he, too, could hear them. "Every time I step outside, I feel nature is shouting at me. 'Come on. Come and get me, Come on. Come on!" He exclaimed as he grabbed the Doctor's lapels, bringing him closer to his face. "Capture my mystery!"

The Doctor was in shock as he looked over to Artemis who sat nearby with a grin on her face, enjoying the pure confusion and terror in his eyes. She tried to suppress laughter as the Doctor's eyes pleaded for help, making him look like a lost animal.

"Maybe you've had enough coffee now," the Doctor told Vincent gently, removing his tight grip from his jacket. Vincent looked down at what he had done and let go in surprise before he smoothed the lapels of the Doctor's jacket. "How about some nice calming tea? Let's get you a cup of chamomile or something, shall we? Amy?"

Artemis winced, knowing what would soon happen to Amy. But she couldn't change it. Could she? She knew how it all panned out on the tv show, but now that it was real life for her, she didn't know what she could change.

"She went outside to admire the paintings, she should be back in soon," Artemis explained to the Doctor, who looked around for his missing companion.

A shrill scream pierced the silent night, announcing something bad had happened.

"No, no, no!" The Doctor exclaimed as he and Artemis rushed to the door. Outside, they found Amy, on her knees, knelt against the doorway. She was clearly shaken up about something as she was panting and shivering.

"What happened?" The Doctor asked her, his eyes scanning the yard for anything that could have harmed her.

"I was having a look at the paintings out here when something hit me from behind," Amy said breathlessly. Artemis held a soft smile to Amy, trying to calm her down as she lifted her from the ground and placed a warm arm around her waist.

"It's ok. He's gone now and we're here," the Doctor replied.

Artemis spoke in a faint voice, "I don't think we are as safe as you think." She pointed outside to Vincent, who was raising up his hands to protect himself.

"No!" Vincent screamed, clearly agitated.

Artemis kept a steady hand around Amy as the Doctor approached Vincent carefully. She wanted to stop him, to tell him it wasn't just Vincent but an actual beast. But she knew Amy needed her.

"Take it easy. Take it easy!" The Doctor coaxed the screaming man. His face held an expression of concern and worry but his body language showed that he was being careful not to make Vincent even more agitated.

"What's happening? What's he doing?" Amy asked Artemis. She looked between the artist and the seemingly blank space there.

Artemis gently let go of Amy's waist and breathed out, "It's an alien." She looked over to the Doctor and then back to Vincent. "Only one that he can see."

Vincent grabbed a large, wooden gardening tool, and held it in front of himself, like a weapon.

"Doctor! Move!" Artemis yelled out at the oblivious man.

Vincent let out a deep roar as he charged the open air, where the Doctor stood and the girls were not far from.

"Run, run!" Vincent exclaimed, gesturing toward the Doctor. His eyes widened as he looked in the pathway of the mad man, only to see Amy and Artemis rush toward him.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you! To run! But _no_," Artemis drawled out, sarcasm fueled her thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's not a bad idea." The Doctor looked back to the two girls, one more visibly shaken than the other. "Get back," he placed a protective hand over Artemis. "He's having some kind of fit. I'll try to calm him down."

Amy took his advice and took shelter in the doorway of the home, but Artemis stayed put and gripped the Doctor's arm tightly before she threw it off of her.

"He's not having some kind of fit! There's a real-life alien right there that we can't see!" Artemis exclaimed, her eyes narrowed in exasperation. "But he can!" She threw a pointed hand to Vincent, who was still trying to control the beast.

The Doctor moved closer to Vincent, his hands raised in an effort to calm him. "Easy, Vincent, easy. Look, look. It's me, it's me, it's me." He took another step closer to Vincent. "It's the Doctor, look. No-one else is here."

"But there is! Look out!" Artemis screamed from a few feet behind the Doctor. But it was too late, the invisible alien sent the Doctor flying through the air and onto the ground. A loud roar sounded as Amy screamed and Artemis groaned in frustration. She didn't understand why the Doctor wasn't listening to her. Maybe it was because this was her first time with him? Maybe he didn't trust her as much as an older version of herself?

Artemis slid over to his side on the ground, resting a hand on his chest and breathing out, "Are you good?" She got a disgruntled moan in response as his eyes shut tight in pain.

"I can't see anything. What is it?" Amy shrieked.

Artemis stood up quickly and groaned out, "I told you before Pond, an alien! Keep up!" Reaching a hand out, she gripped the Doctor's lapels and harshly ripped him from the ground. The Doctor jumped up from the harsh lift up from Artemis and grabbed a nearby stick, running to help Vincent.

"Let me help you," the Doctor panted out.

"You can see him, too?" Vincent asked, surprised to see the Doctor trying to help the seemingly invisible monster.

"Yes. Ish. Well, no. Not really," the Doctor admitted as he swung the stick around manically on the completely opposite side of the garden. Before he could even say another word, the Doctor was yet again thrown off his feet and slid across the garden, landing near Vincent.

"You totally deserved that!" Artemis shouted at the Doctor with a slight grin present.

"You couldn't see him?" Vincent asked.

"No. Oi!" The Doctor scrambled up again to his feet and began battling the air with his stick with a loud battle cry. Artemis laughed at the idiocracy of this man, but the laugh soon went quiet as Vincent ran straight forward and stabbed it, causing it to roar and run away, leaving the ground shaking slightly in its wake. The Doctor, who wasn't paying attention to the now calm state of things, was still fighting with the air.

Artemis held a finger to Vincent, who had his mouth parted, ready to stop the Doctor.

"Not yet, he deserved to be stupid after he ignored my warnings like that."

"He's gone," Vincent cleared his throat and the Doctor stopped and turned around to face the pair.

"Oh, right," The Doctor cleared his throat. "Yes, of course," he muttered in embarrassment. The Doctor then walked over to Artemis' side and parted his lips to speak, but before he could, the Time Lady turned over her shoulder and walked into the stone house. The rest of them followed her as the Doctor pouted slightly.

"Right. So he's invisible? What did he look like?" The Doctor asked Vincent as he sat down in a chair of his own. He peered over to a steel-faced Artemis for a second.

"I'll show you," Vincent said as he grabbed a painting of some irises and painted over it in white paint. The Doctor sat up straight in surprise as he cried out.

"Oh, no, no, no!"

Amy gasped and covered her mouth, staring in complete shock at what the great painter had just done to a masterpiece.

"What?" Vincent asked, genuinely confused as to why the trio was looking at him in disbelief. His eyes flicked around the room at the trio before he turned back around to his now white canvas.

"It's just…" The Doctor started. "That was quite a good…" he sighed, "On you go." He gestured to the canvas, to which Vincent continued on, sketching the alien in charcoal. Artemis peered over Vincent's shoulder to see the same alien she had seen in the tv show when she saw it. The birdlike features, complete with a beak but no feathers.

Artemis winced slightly as she remembered what would soon happen to this innocent creature soon. Although she could try to save it, it would probably be for the best if she let time run its course.

As Vincent finished up his sketch of the creature, the Doctor grabbed it and stared at it intently before standing up. "Right. Amy, make Mr. Van Gogh comfortable. Don't let any invisible monsters in through the front door." He looked over to Amy for her confirmation, only for her to nod slowly. Suddenly, he turned back over to look at Artemis. And grabbing her wrist gently, he began to tug her to the exit. She rolled her eyes silently but went with him willingly.

"But it could be outside, waiting," Amy spoke quietly, warning the pair that were by the door. She waved her hands to illustrate the danger.

Artemis chuckled deeply, her hand lay limp in the Doctor's grasp. "We'll be fine." She looked up to the Doctor's confused gaze. "Only _if_" she ripped her arm from his gentle grasp, "he listens to me." Turning over her shoulder quickly, she walked out the door, leaving the Doctor in a sad and confused stupor.

"Exactly," the Doctor spoke breathlessly while pointing to the door. "Don't worry. We'll be back before you can say, 'Where've they got to now?'" He quickly turned out the door to see the backside of Artemis, walking down the street. But before he joined her, he popped his head back in at Amy and Vincent and shouted, "Not that fast!" This caused Amy to jump in surprise. "But pretty fast. See you around," the Doctor said and left with a grin. But that grin soon turned into a frown as he watched Artemis walk further away.

Running with a slight hop in his step, he quickly reached Artemis. The Doctor walked next to her silently for a moment before he sighed out. "What did I do?" He asked meekly, his gaze looking down at the ground as he walked.

Artemis scoffed in disbelief at the man. Her arms crossed tightly as the Doctor reached over to try to grasp at her hand. In the distance, Artemis was able to spot the Tardis, right where they left it. "What did you _do?_" She almost hissed out. The blonde woman took a faster pace, trying to reach the safe haven of the Tardis quickly. "First of all," Artemis whipped her head around, glaring at the Doctor. "You ignored me." She interrupted the Doctor as he opened his mouth. "You ignored my warnings. I was only trying to save you and you didn't listen!" Artemis turned her head back around and saw the Tardis a few feet from her. Taking her hands in a dramatic manner, she mimicked pushing the doors harshly, only for them to open up for her own their own.

The Doctor held a sad frown as he followed after Artemis quickly, closing the doors on his way in. His eyes glanced over the main room of the Tardis, scanning for any sight of Artemis, when he caught her, sitting on the captain's chair. Breathing in deeply, he walked over and knelt down next to Artemis' hunched over body on the chair. Placing a hesitant but warm hand on her knee, the Doctor spoke up in a soft voice. "I'm so sorry Artemis." He watched as she flinched slightly at his touch. "I should have listened. You think after how long I've known you I would have," he chuckled out dryly. "And," the Doctor paused, making sure his words would be right. "I know you're scared. This is all new to you. But, I'm pretty scared too," the Doctor confessed.

Artemis looked up slightly, her eyes finding his.

"This is the first time you've met me and I want it to go perfectly. I don't want you to be afraid of me and I don't want to mess it all up for you," the Doctor breathed out. In a faint voice, only heard by the sharpest ear, he said, "I kinda messed it up already."

Artemis chuckled, causing the Doctor to look up at her in confusion.

"You are an _idiotic spaceman_."

The Doctor groaned, rolling his eyes. "You start calling me that, _this _early?"

Artemis' eyes widened slightly as she grinned wide, realizing what he meant.

"Oh, so you dislike me calling you that," she grinned as the Doctor looked up at her in terror. "Well, I guess you are just an idiotic spaceman."

The Doctor grinned widely. His toothy smile made Artemis smile too. But her smile didn't last long as soon after, it turned into a faint frown. Her eyes dropped down as she sighed out.

The Doctor furrowed his brows in worry and squeezed her knee in comfort.

"What's wrong?" He asked cautiously.

"I-I just, me being here… with you in the Tardis," Artemis looked up at the glowing Tardis control room. "It's… it's wrong. I'm just a fake Time Lady, not even a true one. I'll just mess everything up and the timeline and-"

"No, Artemis," the Doctor spoke quickly, interrupting her ramble.

"No?" She asked, confused. Artemis looked up from her downward gaze, only to meet the tender eyes of the Doctor.

He smiled softly. "No, you won't mess up everything, no you won't mess up the timeline. And you're not fake. You are very much real. In fact, I think you being here, with me in the Tardis, has made this universe better."

Artemis choked out a smile. A single tear fell from her eye and landed on the Doctor's hand. She watched silently as the Doctor stood up and offered a hand to her. Slowly, she placed her delicate palm in the Doctor's grasp. And with a gentle tug of his hand, the Doctor pulled Artemis off the chair and into his waiting arms.

Artemis gasped quietly as she was almost crushed the Doctor, but she soon accepted it and hugged him back. Her arms weren't around him as tight as his were to her.

The Doctor noticed this too but didn't comment on it as he was still almost a stranger to her. His heart sank at this realization, but he wouldn't worsen the feeling that Artemis had at that moment. She had just been dropped off in another dimension where people that were fictional for her, were now real. He could never understand how she truly felt, but he could sympathize with her and try to help her with these hard times.

Artemis sniffled before she took a step back, pulling away from the Doctor. She chuckled as she looked up at the Doctor's grinning face. "We… uh… we should stop that alien," Artemis spoke with a raspy voice and pointed to the staircase that led to below the console.

"Oh… yeah," the Doctor confirmed quietly. Taking two steps at a time, the Doctor went down the staircase and walked straight over to a big and old trunk on the floor. He opened it quickly. Inside, random objects, like jackets and books, were strewn about.

Artemis stood on the staircase, leaning against the railing, and watching the Doctor as he struggled to find the object he was searching for. She yelped as she saw a jacket come flying at her. She struggled to dodge other objects and articles of clothing as the Doctor flung them out. He didn't seem to notice where he was flinging them, however, as the majority came hurtling at Artemis. One piece of clothing that Artemis couldn't dodge hit her square in the face, causing her to stumble slightly on the staircase.

"Right. You in here somewhere? I can't apologize enough. I thought you were just a useless gadget." The Doctor threw a book that flew right by Artemis' head, narrowly missing her. Her eyes widened at the close proximity of the object. "I thought you were just an embarrassing present from a dull godmother with two heads and bad breath. Twice," the Doctor spoke rapidly.

"An Aplan? Your godmother was an Aplan?" Artemis spoke out with a dry laugh.

The Doctor halted his search for a moment and looked up to Artemis with a confused look.

"The TV show showed who my godmother was? That's… that's a violation of privacy."

Artemis chuckled and spoke up, "No… I guess I'm just really good at guessing."

The Doctor raised his brows and continued digging around the trunk and finally pulled out the object in question. This device seemed to be comprised of a large car side mirror joined to a plastic body by two tubes and a harness, so a user could wear it while using it.

"How wrong can a man be?" The Doctor spoke with joy in his voice as he ran up the stairs, past Artemis, who rolled her eyes. She silently followed the excited man up the stairs and leaned against the railing by the console. Her eyes followed the Doctor as he plugged in cords to the Tardis' console. As the device on the console powered up and beeped, the Doctor stuck his tongue out at his reflection in the device. Artemis giggled to herself at his childlike antics.

A sound like a bell ringing interrupted the Doctor's fun and he quickly hit a button on the Tardis' console. The button was part of what looked like a typewriter and the typewriter quickly printed out a paper with an image of the Doctor from his first incarnations. The same images were projected on the mirror-like screen on the device.

"Good. Ok, you're working. Now, see what you can make of this," the Doctor spoke to the device as he pulled up the sketch of the alien. He held it in front of the screen until the device scanned it. "Who is that?" the Doctor asked as he placed the sketch back down on the ground. The device made strange electronic sounds before an image of a parrot showed up, making Artemis laugh. The Doctor paid her no attention as he said, "No, I know it's not that. There are thousands of them and you can see them plain as day." It scanned again, this time showing a picture of a polar bear, sticking its tongue out in a similar manner to the way that the Doctor did only a moment earlier.

Artemis laughed harder at the Doctor's struggling facial expression. The Doctor turned around to Artemis in a slight pout.

"You could help instead of laughing at me, maybe?" The Doctor spoke in a sarcastic but gentle voice.

Artemis smiled as she sighed out dramatically, "You know… I could, but you are a rather idiotic spaceman." She crossed her arms in triumph as the Doctor groaned in defeat and turned back around to the device.

"No. Definitely not. This is the problem with the impressionists - not accurate enough. This would never happen with Gainsborough or one of those proper painters," the Doctor said. "Sorry, Vincent," he spoke in a soft voice to the device which reflected back his own reflection.

"Hey! I think Vincent is a wonderful painter," Artemis huffed out.

"You'll just have to draw something better," the Doctor spoke out, throwing the sketch over his shoulder.

The sketch rattled to a stop next to Artemis who glared at the Doctor. She bent down and picked the sketch up, laying next to the console. With a pointed finger, she jabbed him in the shoulder and spoke out, "_You_ better be gentle with that." She pointed down to the sketch. "That's an original Van Gogh and we're the only ones who will ever see it," she scolded him lightly.

The Doctor shot Artemis an innocent smile as he unhooked the machine from the Tardis. He then slipped on the harness, the device now balanced on his chest as he grabbed Artemis' hand and dragged her out the Tardis double doors. He stepped out first, cautiously, then pulled along Artemis, keeping her close.

He looked over the alleyway before he looked down at the device. Artemis, on the other hand, stood next to the Doctor, anxiously, knowing what would happen next. She peered over her shoulder, feeling the presence of the alien behind them, but the Doctor didn't notice. Instead, he looked at the screen on the machine and exclaimed "That's better, old girl. Time-delay, but you always get it right in the end." The creature popped its head into the mirror-like screen of the machine and roared, startling Artemis, but never phasing the Doctor. He fiddled with the screen, adjusting it as he said, "Good. Let's find out who this is, then."

The screen rang and on the screen appeared the image of the lonely alien.

"Whoa, there you are, you poor thing. You brutal, murderous, abandoned thing," the Doctor said in a low voice. Artemis looked to the Doctor with wide eyes as she gripped her hand on his sleeve and tugged him slowly, trying to get out of that alleyway. "I hope we meet again soon so I can take you home," the Doctor continued as he fiddled again with the harness.

Artemis tugged him away quickly, saying to him, "If you really want to see it again, just turn around!"

The Doctor looked up at Artemis in confusion and then shock as he heard a roar in his ear. He looked down at his screen to see the alien peering back at him. "Maybe not that soon," the Doctor whispered as Artemis finally tugged him away and the pair both ran down the empty alleyway.

Artemis panted in fear as she felt the creature trailing behind them. Her tugging of the Doctor soon flipped as the Doctor now held her hand and dragged her along close to him. His eyes kept glancing to the mirror, keeping an eye on the creature. The pair stopped short against a wall but they quickly kept moving as the Doctor saw the alien charging at them. The Doctor, in a panic, pushed over tables, poles and other items that were available to them in the alleyway, in order to slow the beast down.

Artemis watched as the arch by them crumbled slightly as the beast ran into it. She winced, knowing that this poor creature couldn't see and was alone in this world, waiting for its pack. But her sympathy couldn't last long as the Doctor pulled her along again behind another wall. She huffed out, trying to catch her breath. But the Doctor only looked in the mirror to peer into the alleyway behind them. She looked over at the mirror and saw the creature running away in another direction. The objects that the Doctor had thrown to the ground were kicked and pushed away by what looked like an invisible force to the naked eye, but in the mirror, it showed the creature struggling to leave.

"Look at the way it's running away Doctor," Artemis panted out, her eyes closed as she leaned against the wall. She licked her lips, trying to retain the moisture she had just lost. She looked back up at the Doctor, whose eyes widened a fraction at her statement. "It's running with no sense of direction. I'd say that the alien can't-"

"See," the Doctor interrupted. He peered back around the corner cautiously but was terrified to see Amy and screamed. Amy screamed as well, not expecting him to pop from out of the wall. "Never do that! You scared the living daylights out of me," the Doctor scolded Amy, waving his hands about.

Artemis leaned against the wall and chuckled, not phased by this encounter because she knew it was going to happen. Amy rolled her eyes at his scolding and leaned against the same wall Artemis and the Doctor were.

"Sorry. I got bored. As much as you admire his command of color and shape, it is hard to get fond of Vincent Van Gogh's snoring," Amy admitted, panting slightly from her scream.

Artemis snorted, knowing just how loud he snored in the show and knowing it could only be worse in real life. "Like a motorboat," Artemis confirmed.

The Doctor looked back at Artemis in confusion. "How do you," he started. "Nevermind, Pond, Arty, we have a Mr. Vincent Van Gogh to wake up." The Doctor took Artemis' hand as she looked up at the Doctor in confusion. He pulled her along, down the alleyway as Amy followed.

"Arty? Since when is that a thing?" Artemis pondered.

The Doctor looked down at Artemis sheepishly. "I guess I did kinda let that one slip out," he breathed out. "It's always been a thing, but I just never called you it because you're still a baby to me and I didn't want to freak you out," the Doctor confessed.

Artemis scoffed, "A baby? How old do you think I am?"

The Doctor grinned, "Well, how old are you?" He looked down at Artemis with a cheeky wink.

"31, for your information," Artemis spoke with her head high.

"Really?!" Amy exclaimed. She took quick steps to meet up with Artemis. "You barely look over 22!"

Artemis grinned but that grin was short-lived as the Doctor laughed. She whipped her head back around to the Doctor with a glare.

"You're only a Time Tot!" The Doctor exclaimed with a laugh.

Artemis tugged her hand away from the Doctor's and slapped him on his chest. She scoffed out, "Yeah, well at least I'm not an old idiotic spaceman like you."

The Doctor rolled his eyes in response and parted his lips to retort back, but before he could, Amy shouted out, "Okay, we get it! Stop flirting and let's help Vincent."

Artemis faltered in her steps and Amy pushed past her, hurrying down the alleyway. The Doctor looked back down at Artemis with a light pink hue to his face before he gripped her hand again and rushed back over to Amy, tugging Artemis along. Artemis was shocked and a pink flush grew over her cheeks and she pondered what Amy had just said.

Vincent was dead asleep in his tiny bed, the early morning sun slowly filtering through his room. Early in the day, the trio went and bought many sunflowers. These flowers were the main focal point of one of Amy's favorite paintings of Vincent called _Sunflowers_. However, Vincent didn't much more restful sleep as soon, the childlike Time Lord burst through the door, waking up Vincent harshly.

"Wakey, wakey. Rise and shine!" The Doctor cried out as he opened a window, letting in even more bright sunlight. "Breakfast is served in the courtyard. Whoa! What a morning," he declared with a smile as he gazed outside to the beautiful landscape, now filled with yellow sunflowers. He turned back over to Vincent and clapped his hands before continuing. "Come on. And Amy's got a little surprise for you."

Vincent groaned as he struggled to get out of bed. He walked over slowly to the window and looked down to the courtyard. He leaned against the doorframe as his eyes peered outside and spotted Amy and Artemis, both standing next to each other. Amy held a light smile while Artemis grinned brightly. They stood in the middle of the sunflowers, hundreds of them filled the garden in mismatch containers.

"I thought I'd brighten things up to thank you for saving me last night," Amy called up to Vincent with a grin.

"Ah," Vincent said, squinting his eyes in the harsh light.

Artemis looked behind her at a single chicken that walked throughout the garden before she set her gaze back up at Vincent.

"I thought you might like, you know, possibly to perhaps paint them or something? Might be a thought," Amy stated as she leaned against the table, resting her head in her hand. The Doctor silently joined the pair in the courtyard and poured a glass of orange juice. He gestured to a glass at Artemis but she shook her head.

"Yes. They're not my favorite flower," Vincent stated.

The Doctor paused pouring his drink as he looked up at the painter in disbelief and Amy cocked an eyebrow at this too.

"_You_ don't like sunflowers?" Amy asked. Artemis chuckled at this exchange and leaned forward on the table, resting her head in both of her hands.

"No, it's not that I don't like them," Vincent replied. "I find them complex." He looked over to the sunflowers next to his window and gently touched them as he continued. "Always somewhere between living and dying. Half-human as they turn to the sun. A little disgusting." The famous painter paused, rubbing the petals of the flower. "But, you know, they are a challenge." He studied the flower for a moment, thinking of the possible ways to paint them.

"And one I'm pretty sure you'll rise to," the Doctor laughed with a smile. Amy now studied a sunflower by her side. "But, moving on," the Doctor raised a pointed finger and shook it. "There's something I need to show you." He walked over to the lower floor of Vincent's home.

Vincent nodded in response and turned back around into his room to change and freshen up.

The trio sat in Vincent's living room as the Doctor pulled out the familiar image of the alien that they were chasing after. The pointed feathers atop of its forehead and the sharp edges of its beak were familiar to Vincent who spoke out, "That's him." He studied the image longer. "The eyes," he paused, "without mercy."

Artemis' eyes dropped down in sorrow as the Doctor explained what this beast actually was. The Doctor stepped forward to Vincent and explained in a soft voice. "Now see, this is a creature called a Krafayis. They travel in space, they travel as a pack. Scavenging across the universe." The Doctor took a seat across from Vincent, who placed a gentle palm against the paper that held the image of the creature. "Sometimes one of them gets left behind and because they are a brutal race, the others never come back." Artemis frowned slightly, understanding this. However, Amy looked in confusion at what the Doctor said. The Doctor stood back up from his seat and walked around, trying to find something to do while speaking. "So, dotted all around the universe are individual, utterly merciless, utterly abandoned Krafayis. And what they do is well, kill, until they're killed. Which they usually aren't because other creatures can't see them."

Vincent peered back up at the Doctor and then back down at the image, pondering. "But I can?"

"Yes," the Doctor confirmed. "And that's why we are in a unique position today, my friend, to end this reign of terror." Artemis sat down next to Amy, who had just sat also. "So," the Doctor leaned against the wall next to Vincent's sitting form. "Feeling like painting the church today?"

"But what about the monster?" Vincent asked with worry, leaning forward on his chair toward the Doctor.

"Take my word for it. If you paint it, he will come."

"Ok," Vincent stood up, "I'll get my things." He grinned, waving the paper that held an image of a Krafayis.

"In your own time. I promise you, we'll be out of your hair by this time tomorrow," the Doctor told Vincent, who hesitated in the doorway, his grin faltering as he headed to his bedroom.

Artemis waited for Vincent to leave before she sent a deep glare to the Doctor, who only looked at her in confusion. She scoffed as she stood up quickly and flicked him on his forehead.

"Ow!" The Doctor exclaimed, holding his now red forehead. His arms flailed about, wondering why she did that.

"You just told a man who _probably_ _never_ had many friends, that we are leaving him as soon as possible. Don't you think that hurts?!" Artemis proclaimed at the Doctor, who looked at her guiltily.

The Doctor winced, realizing what he had done. He stood up suddenly and kissed the side of Artemis' head, right in her hair. This caused her to freeze up, not expecting this type of interaction from the Doctor. Sure, the Doctor, especially the eleventh one, was friendly and touchy, but it was all still so new for her.

"This is risky," he stated, a frown now evident on his face.

"Riskier than normal?" Amy prodded the Doctor, leaning closer.

The Doctor peered through the door that Vincent left from, making sure he wasn't there to listen in to their conversation.

"Well, think about it," the Doctor replied quietly. "This is the middle of Vincent Van Gogh's greatest year of painting. If we're not careful, the result of our little trip could be the brutal murder of the greatest artist who ever lived. Half the pictures on the wall of the Musee D'Orsay will disappear," the Time Lord closed his eyes and breathed in slowly.

"And you," Artemis glared at the Doctor. "Told him, a mentally unstable individual, that we are leaving him tomorrow." She rolled her eyes at his feigned innocent look and turned over her shoulder, leaving out the door.

Artemis and Amy stood at the bottom of the stairs as the Doctor knocked on Vincent's bedroom door. Amy stood stiff, biting her nails anxiously, waiting for the Doctor and hopefully Vincent to come out of the room. Artemis leaned against the wall, arms crossed, knowing how Vincent was truly doing. How he cried on his bed and screamed at the Doctor to get out. But she wouldn't mention that to Amy.

Artemis' eyes looked up at a sudden sound and saw the Doctor's solemn-looking face pop out of the door and walk down the stairs. Amy noticed too and ran up halfway to meet the Doctor on the stairs.

"What's happening?" Amy asked the Doctor with worry written all over her expression.

The Doctor leaned against the railing and sighed out, "We're leaving."

Artemis looked up from below the pair and watched as the Doctor's facial expression never changed as he spoke to the fiery redhead.

"Everyone knows he's a delicate man. Just months from now he'll… he'll take his own life," the Doctor hesitated to say those words, not liking the way they sat on his tongue. He sighed as he peered down at Artemis' stoic expression. He sighed out, knowing she was right about everything. The Time Lord pushed off the railing and made his way down the stairs, walking toward the leaning body of Artemis.

"Don't say that. Please," Amy's voice broke as she pleaded after the Doctor.

The Doctor faltered in his steps, staring back at Amy in heartbreak before he continued down the stairs silently.

Amy followed the Doctor quietly and solemnly. The Doctor stood before Artemis for a second, almost wishing he had something to say to her. But before he did, he turned away silently, walking to the door on the lower floor, Amy trailing behind. Artemis watched the backs of the pair silently, contemplating whether to follow them. But her eyes trailed back up to the door that blocked Vincent from the outside.

Artemis pushed herself off the wall and walked up the stairs slowly. She looked back to make sure that the Doctor wasn't there before she quietly opened the door of Vincent's room. Inside, Artemis could feel the sorrow that coated the room. The sound of sniffles and sobs could be heard from the corner of the room where Vincent lay. With the door open, she knocked gently on the side of it, announcing her presence.

Artemis breathed out deeply as she walked in closer to the painter. Vincent shot his head up, glaring at the figure in the room. His eyes were bloodshot and teary as he shouted, "Don't you know better? I already told the Doctor to leave, so just do that." Vincent threw his head back down on his pillow, suffocating the sounds of his cries.

"You know I can't do that Vincent," Artemis spoke with a motherly, but soft tone of voice. "I know what you are feeling. Loneliness… anger… frustration."

"You have never experienced those feelings in your life! So don't pretend to know how I feel," Vincent sat up in his bed, glaring at Artemis.

Artemis' eyes dropped down in sorrow, tears filling them. "Well, I know for a fact that I am not pretending to be hurt." Her voice broke, making Vincent look up at her in worry. "No one, and I mean _no one_ would willingly put themselves through those emotions for amusement." Artemis shuddered out a breath. "I… I lost it all. My family, my friends, my job, my _life_. It's all gone." The teary-eyed woman looked up at Vincent's now somber face. "I have loneliness because I won't ever see my family or friends again. They are gone, and I am here. I have anger because I lost everything I worked my whole life for. Everything I worked for and worked _hard_ for is gone. And I have frustration because…" Artemis took in a shaky breath as she struggled to speak clearly. "Because everything has changed!" She shouted, her eyes now red from tears.

"Artemis," Vincent spoke in a soft voice.

"No, Vincent. You get to have so much that you don't even know. You get to face your problems and solve them. You are brave and strong. You can paint beauty in a world where there is seemingly nothing but dull darkness. But I… I can't do any of that," Artemis confessed.

"I think…" Vincent paused. "I think you are brave too."

Artemis' eyes widened in shock, not expecting anything but sour tones from Vincent, but in fact, he gave the opposite.

"You came into a madman's life and saved him when he needed you the most."

Artemis thought Vincent was talking about himself, but to Vincent's mind, he was thinking of another special madman.

Artemis grinned widely and held out a hand to the famous painter who graciously took it. Vincent stood up with a smile and grabbed the jacket hanging by his door. He picked up his painting supplies as he opened the door with determination and walked out. Artemis followed behind the insane artist down the stairs watched as he entered the same door that the Doctor and Amy went into.

Artemis faltered by the door frame, listening in to what the Doctor said.

"_Come on_," said the Doctor. But Artemis heard it muffled through the walls of the room. "_We have to do this on our own. Go to the church at the right time and hope the monster still turns up_."

Artemis smiled softly, thinking about the pure determination that the Doctor had. She leaned against the doorframe, laying her head against the rough wood.

"_I'm ready,_" another voice spoke. "_Let's go._" Artemis knew that Vincent was packing up his supplies in the same room as the Doctor. She knew that Amy was grinning widely and talking excitedly to the painter as they left the house. The Doctor walking outside and directly to her, she did not know.

"What did you do?" The Doctor asked with a smile on his face, but it slowly dropped as he got closer to the leaning figure of Artemis. He noticed the red eyes and tear stricken face that broke his hearts.

Artemis chuckled out a fake laugh, "Oh, you know… I only made Vincent feel like there was someone else like him." She sniffled as the Doctor stood closer, wrapping his arms tightly around the stiff form of Artemis.

"Oh Arty," the Doctor sighed into his hug. "You are not alone."

Artemis' ear found its way to the Doctor's chest, listening softly to the dual beatings of his twin hearts. This rhythmic pattern relaxed her slightly as she breathed deeply.

Artemis walked next to the Doctor, hand in hand, as they followed closely behind Vincent and Amy. Amy and Vincent carried painting equipment as they all walked down a dirt pathway to the church.

"I'm sorry you're so sad," Amy said to Vincent.

Vincent smiled at the redhead. "But I'm not. Sometimes these moods torture me for weeks, for months. But I'm good now." Vincent shifted his hold of her to grip her arm better. "If Amy Pond can soldier on, then so can Vincent Van Gogh."

Amy laughed him off, "I'm not soldering on. I'm fine."

"Oh, Amy," Vincent sighed. "I hear the song of your sadness. You've lost someone I think." Vincent looked over to Amy with a sad expression.

Artemis gazed up to the Doctor's concerned face with a sad look. She squeezed his hand in order to comfort him.

"I'm not sad," the redhead insisted.

"Then why are you crying?" Vincent looked over to Amy as she quickly wiped under her eyes, cleaning off surprise tears that escaped her. "It's all right. I understand."

"I'm not sure I do," Amy admitted. The sassy redhead truly didn't understand why she was sad, but she just was. It was like something or someone was missing from her life and she didn't understand what happened.

Artemis smiled sadly, knowing what was happening to Amy. But she also knew that she would soon see Rory again. This pain was only temporary and soon she would be truly happy again. However, although Artemis knew the future of the Doctor and his companions, she didn't know what the future had in store for herself. And that worried her.

"Ok. Ok!" The Doctor interrupted, grabbing their attention. "So, now, we must have a plan. When the creature returns-"

Vincent slowed his steps to a complete stop and turned to the Doctor, interrupting him. "Then we shall fight him again." He held a strong gaze at the Doctor. The Doctor stared back at him.

"Well, yes, tick," The Doctor replied calmly. "But last night we were lucky," the Doctor released Artemis' hand and stepped closer to the painter. "Amy could have been killed. So this time, for a start, we have to make sure I can see him too."

Amy stared at the spaceman in disbelief. "And how are we meant to do that, suddenly?"

Artemis smiled at the sassy redhead and gestured toward the box that the Doctor was carrying. "The Doctor has a gadget."

The Doctor looked over his shoulder to an overconfident Artemis and pointed at her for a moment before turning back around to Amy. "Yes, quite right. I have a gadget. I had an excellent, if smelly, godmother." The Doctor motioned to the same case that Artemis gestured at for a moment before he grabbed Artemis' hand again and began to walk further.

In the distance, a funeral procession could be seen. Artemis froze for a second, knowing that it was for the young girl that was killed tragically by the beast. She squeezed the Doctor's hand, knowing that he would be taking this hard as well.

"Oh, no," Vincent breathed out. "It's that poor girl from the village."

The group stayed still by the side of the dirt road as the procession walked slowly by them. All of them staring back at them, especially Vincent. Artemis kept her gaze down, trying to show respect and not agitate them more, but Amy wasn't discreet in her gaze.

"You do have a plan, don't you?" Amy asked the pair of Time Lords.

"If he doesn't, then I sure as hell do," Artemis spoke confidently, knowing that the Doctor didn't quite have a plan yet.

* * *

~A/N~

22wolfgirl - Thank you so much for linking the story so far! I'm really glad that even with one chapter, someone has taken an interest in it.

I hope everyone is enjoying it so far! I will be updating in a few hours again, so prepare for that! And after that, let's just say Artemis will see some new Doctor.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE - The Good Things**

The group stood outside the infamous church. Vincent staked an easel in the ground, setting up his painting supplies while the trio stood by, gazing up at the church in awe. The church looked old, even for the 1800s. Moss and green plants sprouted from the cracks of the building, adding extra character to it. A large glass window, framed with antique stones reflected light, making the outside brighter.

"And you'll be sure to tell me if you see any, you know, monsters," the Doctor reminded Vincent in a hushed tone.

Artemis and Vincent both rolled their eyes.

"Yes. While I may be mad, I'm not stupid."

The Doctor straightened up immediately, astonished and nodded stiffly. "No, quite. And, to be honest…" The Doctor squatted down to Vincent's level. Vincent, who had already dipped his brush into paint, looked up at him in wonder. "Not sure about mad either. It seems to me depression is a very complex…"

Vincent shushed him. "I'm working," he said in a hushed tone.

The Doctor paused, surprised. "Well, yes. Paint… do painting!" He exclaimed.

Artemis looked at Amy with a cocked eyebrow as she mouthed to her in confusion, "_Do painting?_" Amy chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.

Time passed by as Vincent painted. Colors of blue and green filled the canvas. Artemis watched patiently in awe at Vincent's mastery. The blend of the calm colors struck a chord in Artemis and she relaxed. However, this waiting had the opposite effect on the Doctor, who was pacing back and forth.

"I remember watching Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel. Wow! What a whiner. I said to him, 'If you're scared of heights, you shouldn't have taken the job." The Doctor eyed Artemis. "But it didn't help that he fancied Artemis," the Doctor spoke under his breath.

Artemis smirked at that fact but stayed silent.

"Shh!" Amy scolded him and he pouted.

Night was slowly falling over the sky. The sun disappearing in the skyline, turning it dark blue. Vincent captured this change in his painting, mixing the colors to the canvas, covering it in blues and blacks.

The Doctor walked over to Vincent and clapped a hand on his shoulder as he spoke close to his ear. "And Picasso. What a ghastly old goat. I kept telling him, 'Concentrate, Pablo, it's one eye, either side of the face." Vincent tensed under his touch and Amy quickly grabbed the Doctor and scolded him, "Quiet," she said.

The Doctor crossed his arms and pouted slightly, jealous that the girls were paying more attention to the painter than him. Artemis eyed the Doctor in his sullen look and chuckled under her breath. She took a few steps over to the Time Lord and placed a gentle hand on his forearm.

The Doctor looked over his shoulder in shock at Artemis and smiled softly. She rolled her eyes and tugged him back over to the painter and Amy. "Come on you idiotic spaceman, stop being such a big baby."

The sun set over the church as Vincent continued to paint. A single lamp being the only source of light for them outside. However, the moon and stars shone faintly in the night's sky, letting some extra glow shine down on them.

Amy and Artemis watched Vincent paint with complete awe, engrossed in the painter's technique. The Doctor squatted on the floor, a pout etched into his face.

"Is this how time normally passes?" He looked over his shoulder to eye Artemis' smiling face. "Really slowly. In the right order."

Artemis giggled under her breath at the Doctor's angsty attitude and nodded over to her side. The Doctor took this hint and stood up and walked over to the pair. He rested an arm on Artemis' shoulder gently, not even realizing he did so. But Artemis didn't say anything about it, rather, she accepted the strange but comforting gesture.

"Apparently, that's not how time works for me. But I'm still trying to figure that all out," Artemis spoke to the Doctor, but kept her eyes glued on Vincent, who was almost finished painting.

The Doctor looked down at Artemis with a sad look but shook off the feeling and exclaimed, moving away from her. "There's one thing I can't stand, it's an unpunctual alien attack." The Time Lord stormed passed the group. Amy and Artemis rolled their eyes.

Amy followed the Doctor, but Artemis stood by Vincent, knowing soon that the alien would show up soon. From behind, Artemis could hear Amy asking the Doctor if he was alright, but her eyes were now glued to the window which the alien would show itself from.

"There!" Vincent called out, pointing a paintbrush at the window. "He's at the window."

The pair behind them turned around and looked at the window. Artemis, however, could have sworn that she saw a shadow move in the dark of the church.

"Where?" The Doctor questioned.

"There, on the right."

The Doctor breathed deeply, "As I thought. Come on," he told Amy and Artemis. He ran past the painter and grabbed Artemis' hand on the way. "I'm going in," he stated as he ran further.

"Well, I'm coming, too," Vincent declared, fiddling with his things and packing them up in a hurry.

"No!" The Doctor shouted in horror. He held up a calm hand, trying to stop the painter from following. "You're Vincent Van Gogh. No."

"But you're not armed," Vincent replied, confused as to why he and the girls could go, but not him, someone who could see the creature.

"Oh, but he is," Artemis replied with a smile.

"With what?" Vincent asked with a cocked brow.

"Overconfidence and this," the Doctor said as he tapped the case he held with a smile. "And a small screwdriver. I'm absolutely sorted. Just have to find the right crosactic setting, and stun him with it. Sonic never fails." He spoke rapidly. "Anyway, Amy, Artemis," He turned to the girls with a serious expression. "Only one thought, one simple instruction - don't follow me under any circumstances." He eyed the painter, telling him to keep an eye on the stubborn girls.

"I won't," Amy confirmed and the Doctor gave her a thumbs up. However, Artemis had a different reaction.

Artemis scoffed loudly and grabbed the Doctor's hand before he left. "And why the hell am I not going with you?"

The Doctor groaned loudly, not wanting to deal with the stubbornness that Artemis had. "Because, Arty," he looked down to her with pleading eyes. "I don't want you to get hurt. It's your first time on an adventure and anything could happen." Artemis opened her lips to retort but was silenced with a finger that the Doctor placed on her lips. "Just… stay with them and make sure nothing happens." He gave her one final glance before he ran into the church.

Artemis stood, fuming at the Doctor. But she relaxed when Amy walked over to clap a hand on her shoulder.

"Will you follow him?" Vincent asked Amy and she only nodded.

"Of course," she said.

"I love you," Vincent told the other redhead honestly. Amy looked at the painter wearily and smiled.

The trio outside waited patiently, needing the right time to enter the church to help the Doctor. Amy paced around Vincent nervously, continuously glancing up at the window. Vincent stared at the window intensely, making sure that the alien didn't move away from it.

"Has he moved?" Amy asked worriedly. She paused and looked at the painter.

"No." Amy frowned at this response and began pacing once more. "Just shifted to the next window. But, wait!" Vincent exclaimed, gathering both girls' attention. "He's turning now!"

Artemis gulped. She picked at her fingers nervously, waiting. But she couldn't take it any longer. Throwing her hands down, she ran to the church, leaving Vincent and Amy.

"Artemis!" Amy shouted, but she didn't run after her.

Artemis' breath was visible to her as she huffed out as she ran to the church. But before she could get inside, she heard the yell of the Doctor. He yelped in pain, alarming Artemis and Amy.

"_Doctor!_" Artemis heard Amy yell from behind her.

Artemis didn't waste any time as she slammed the door of the church open. Her eyes scanned the room and saw the Doctor standing up from the ground. Rushing forward, she grabbed his arm tightly and dragged him from the center of the church.

"Artemis?!" The Doctor shouted in confusion as he looked down at the device strapped to his chest, making sure the alien wasn't following them.

She stayed silent as she pulled him, taking him to the archway by the entrance. Amy startled the pair as she ran straight at them, causing the Doctor to shout in surprise.

He groaned out, "I thought I told you two…" His thoughts trailed off as he realized they needed shelter from the beast. "Nevermind. We'll talk about it later. Quick, in here," the Doctor spoke rapidly as he now grabbed Artemis and led them into a confessional. The trio remained silent inside the small wooden box. Artemis was pressed up against the Doctor's chest, making her breathe a little heavier, however, this fact didn't seem to phase the Doctor.

"Absolutely quiet," he whispered.

Amy breathed heavily alongside Artemis. She looked to the Doctor in fear and worry as he lifted the curtain, covering them all in dim light. The Time Lord slid the grill separating the two sections, startling Amy slightly.

"Can you breathe a little quieter, please?"

"No!" Amy hissed back.

Artemis stayed silent as she slapped the Doctor on his arm. She held her breath suddenly as a low growl of the beast scared her.

"He's gone past," Amy whispered.

The Doctor shushed her as he held a finger to his lips. The trio then sat in silence for a moment, waiting to see what the Krafayis would do. Suddenly, a loud growl interrupted the silence and a hot breath blew into the confessional. Amy screamed in fear at this.

"I think he heard us," the Doctor said lowly.

"You think so?!" Artemis shouted. The wall of the confessional was suddenly caved in as the alien rammed against it. Artemis screamed in terror at the sudden movement.

"That is impressive hearing he's got," the Doctor stated quietly as a hole appeared above him and Artemis. He shielded Artemis from the danger, gripping her tightly as he waited it out. "What's less impressive are our chances of survival." The confessional shook more as the alien tried to break into it.

"Hey!" Vincent's voice could be heard from the distance. "Are you looking for me, sonny? Come on. Over here. Because I'm right here waiting for you."

Artemis paused, waiting for the Krafyis to move before she opened the door. Slowly, she and the Doctor made their way out of the confessional, Amy soon following suit. Artemis looked over to see Vincent seemingly fighting the air. Vincent looked to the trio as his hat fell off. He quickly motioned behind him and shouted, "Come on. Quickly! Get behind me."

The trio rushed behind the painter, who held a chair up to the air, defending himself. The Doctor paused behind Vincent and waved his sonic screwdriver up to the air. "Doing anything?" The Doctor asked Vincent, who shook his head in denial. They all ran back outside to the church's courtyard and waited for the next attack.

"Where is he?" The Doctor asked.

"Where do you think he is, you idiot? Use your head."

The beast roared again, it's thundering footsteps echoing in the small space, letting them know the proximity of the creature. The buzzing of the sonic screwdriver bounced off the walls and the Doctor asked again, "Anything?" To which Vincent replied with, "Nothing. In fact, he seemed to rather enjoy it."

The Doctor glared down at his screwdriver and groaned. Vincent circled around, keeping an eye on the beast, the trio followed his actions. Artemis' eyes widened as Vincent shouted, "Duck!" Artemis and the Doctor quickly shot to the ground in fear as they were narrowly missed by the beast. "Left!" Vincent shouted. Artemis shoved the Doctor right instead, knowing that the alien was going left, but this left her wide open to its tail.

Artemis groaned in pain as the Krafayis slammed her into the wall behind her harshly. Amy screamed and the Doctor shouted as Artemis dropped to the dirt floor with a thud. Artemis winced as she gently touched a spot on her scalp. When she removed her fingers, a small dot of blood could be seen staining them.

"Right, sorry," Vincent apologized. "Your right, my left."

The Doctor glared at Vincent before he and Amy rushed to Artemis' side. The Time Lord looked at her in worry as he saw the blood that trickled down the side of her face. He quickly used the sleeve of his jacket and brushed away the red liquid before he carefully helped her up.

"This is no good at all. Run like crazy and regroup," The Doctor said as he gripped Artemis' waist, helping her run.

"Come on, in here," Amy shouted as she ran to another door. The rest followed them and Vincent dropped the chair he had been using as a weapon. All of them then tried to hold the door shut as the monster tried to force it's way through. Vincent then stomped down on what Artemis presumed was its foot and the door relaxed, allowing them to close it. They all leaned against the door, huffing, out of breath.

"Right," the Doctor spoke breathlessly. "Ok. Here's the plan. Amy, Rory."

Artemis' eyes widened at the Doctor's mistake but he quickly corrected himself as Amy asked, "Who?"

"Sorry, Artemis and Vincent."

Amy looked confused but carried on, "What is the plan?"

The Doctor looked between Artemis, Amy, and Vincent rapidly as he spoke out in a hurry, "I don't know, actually. But in the future, I'm just using this screwdriver for screwing in screws." He stared at his sonic screwdriver for a moment before he placed it back into his pocket.

"Give me a second. I'll be back," Vincent told them as he ran off without any explanation.

With wide eyes, the Doctor said, "I suppose we could try talking to him."

Artemis rolled her eyes as Amy exclaimed, "Talking to him?!"

"Well, yes. Might be interesting to know his side of the story."

Artemis slapped the Doctor on his shoulder harshly and was about to speak up when the Krafayis growled from behind the door.

"Yes, though maybe he's not really in the mood for conversation right at this precise moment." The Krafayis banged against the door, jerking the trio harshly. "Well, no harm trying. Listen. Listen!" The Doctor shouted out to the creature. He placed both his hands on the wooden door, almost as if he was trying to reach the beast. "I know you can understand me. Even though I know you won't understand why you can understand me. I also know that no one's talked to you for a pretty long stretch, but please… listen. I also don't belong on this planet." The Doctor paused, glancing over at Artemis as she listened to his speech. He squeezed his eyes tightly and continued, "I also am alone. If you trust me, I'm sure we can come to some kind of, you know, understanding. And then, and then, who knows?"

Artemis reached out a shaking hand to the Doctor and gripped his own tightly, squeezing it in comfort. They waited in silence for a moment as they heard no response from the Krafayis. But suddenly, the window nearby shattered, letting the creature into the room. Its roar thundered in the room, shaking them to their core. They all clenched tightly together, waiting for the inevitable, but it never came.

Vincent shouted from across the room, "Over here, mate!" He ran back in, holding his easel as a weapon. The trio's eyes shot open and ran over to the painter, protected behind him.

"What's it up to now?" The Doctor asked as they all moved around the pillar in the room.

"It's moving around the room. Feeling its way around," Vincent explained carefully, eyeing the invisible creature. They all hid behind an object, watching the air for any new movement.

"What?" The Doctor questioned.

"It's blind, you idiotic spaceman!" Artemis shouted as she kept a careful eye on the air.

"Oh, you are right! I am idiotic and getting old!" The Doctor confirmed. "Why does it attack, but never eat its victims?" He carefully walked over to Vincent and Amy while holding onto Artemis. "And why was it abandoned by its pack and left here to die? Why is it feeling its way helplessly around the walls of the room? It can't see, it's blind." The Doctor glanced over to Artemis and said, "And you told me that! But I'm so stupid. That explains why it has such perfect hearing!"

"Which unfortunately also explains why it is now turning around and heading straight for us," Vincent replied with wide eyes. He clenched his teeth and stood up, holding the sharp end of the easel out in front of him.

"Vincent, Vincent. What's happening?" The Doctor asked as the trio jumped up.

"It's charging now," Vincent told the group, motioning behind him. "Get back. Get back!"

"No!" Artemis shouted, but it was too late. The Doctor looked down at her in confusion, wondering why she was tearing up, but he soon realized why. The Doctor looked back up to see Vincent charge at the air with the sharp easel and yell, piercing the creature. The painter dangled in the air for a moment before he let go and hit the floor. Artemis whimpered out as she knew the poor creature would die. The Doctor and Amy looked at the easel in the air with shock.

"He wasn't without mercy at all. He was without sight. I didn't mean that to happen. I only meant to wound it, I never meant to…" Vincent trailed off in a soft voice, full of regret.

The Doctor and Artemis knelt down to the ground by the beast as Amy clung to Vincent's arm in comfort.

"He's trying to say something," the Doctor spoke softly, his eyes softened. Artemis was shocked as her ears could almost pick out words in the beast's groans and whimpers.

"What is it?" Vincent asked.

"I'm having trouble making it out…"

"I'm afraid," Artemis interrupted with a soft voice. She sniffled as she spoke, her voice cracking slightly, "He's afraid."

The Doctor sighed as he reached out to the open air, only for his hand to hit the creature's body. He began to stroke it gently, trying to calm and relax it. "There, there. It's ok. You'll be fine," the Doctor cooed. Artemis watched as the Doctor's hand stilled, showing that the Krafayis had taken its final breath.

"He was frightened… and he lashed out," Vincent murmured as the Doctor and Artemis stood up. "Like humans, who lash out when they're frightened. Like the villagers who scream at me. Like the children who throw stones at me," Vincent sighed out.

Artemis rested her head against the Doctor's shoulder gently, longing for his comfort. He allowed this by wrapping a warm hand around her waist and pulled her in for a loving hug. Artemis calmed down as she could hear the rhythmic pattern of two hearts beating.

"Sometimes winning…" The Doctor paused, taking in a deep breath. "Winning is no fun at all."

The wind rustled the leaves in the trees, shaking them down at the group, who were laying down on the ground outside in the dark. They all laid in silence, their heads all touching in a circle. Vincent grabbed Amy's hand and then reached out for the Doctor. They all connected together by grasping each other.

"Hold my hand, Doctor. Try to see what I see. We are so lucky we are still alive to see this beautiful world," Vincent told them as they gazed up at the night sky. "Look at the sky. It's not dark and black and without character. The black is in fact a deep blue," Vincent motioned above them with the Doctor's hand in his grasp. "And over there, lighter blue. And blowing through the blueness and the blackness, the wind swirling through the air and then, shining, burning, bursting through - the stars! Can you see how they roar their light? Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes," Vincent exclaimed with vigor.

"I've seen many things, my friend. But you're right. Nothing quite as wonderful as the things you see," the Doctor replied softly with a warm smile on his face.

Vincent frowned as he studied Amy's hand in his. "I will miss you terribly," he confessed.

It was morning, the next day, and the group made it back to Vincent's home. As a gift, Vincent handed them a painting.

"I only wish I had something of real value to give you."

The Doctor and Artemis laughed as Amy giggled with her hand over her face as they stared at the painting in their hand. It was the same portrait of Vincent in a straw hat that they had seen only a few days earlier. The Doctor held the painting up to Vincent's frowning face and said, "Oh, no, no. I could never accept such an extraordinary gift." He handed back the painting to the painter who frowned.

"Very well. You are not the first to decline the offer," Vincent spoke with a sigh as he placed it down roughly, causing the Doctor to wave his hands in a panic. But Vincent paid him no attention and held open arms to Amy. "Amy, the blessed, the wonderful." The two redheads hugged tightly and gave each other kisses on their cheeks.

"Be good to yourself and be kind to yourself," Amy said with a soft smile.

"I'll try my best."

"And maybe give the beard a little trim before you next kiss someone," she rubbed her cheek as they laughed.

"I will. I will. And if you tire of this Doctor of yours, return, and we will have children by the dozen."

Amy's eyes widened as he motioned to the Doctor. "Eek!" She replied, no knowing what exactly to say to that.

"Doctor," Vincent looked over to him. "My friend." Vincent held the Doctor's hand in his own. "We have fought monsters together and we have won. On my own, I fear I may not do as well," he confessed with a somber expression.

The Doctor hugged him tightly and shrugged, saying, "Nah."

"And finally, Artemis." Vincent turned once more to the blonde female. She looked at him in shock, not expecting him to say anything to her. "The word 'art' in your name gives meaning to your true nature." She smiled at this. "I shall try to give meaning to this word through my own art as your name burns in the sky." Vincent held Artemis' hand in his and he leaned over slightly, giving a soft kiss to her knuckles.

Artemis blushed and looked up to see the Doctor, looking at Vincent with a small glare. She cleared her throat and smiled at the painter. "Please, try to remember what I said. Take care of yourself and good things will come your way." Artemis smiled and brought the painter in for a tight hug.

The trio walked back to the Tardis quietly, thinking about what an amazing time they had with Vincent. However, the Doctor kept glancing back at Vincent's house, a thoughtful frown on his face.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The Doctor asked?

"I was thinking I may need some food or something before we leave," Amy replied.

The Doctor paused in his footsteps, causing Artemis and Amy to do so also. Artemis smirked as she knew what was coming.

"Well, no, you're not thinking exactly what I'm thinking," he shot her a glance before he turned back to the house and shouted the painter's name. Shirtless and a brush in his mouth, Vincent leaned out of his window. Artemis smiled and waved at the painter, who waved back in confusion. "Got something I'd like to show you. Maybe just tidy yourself up a bit first," the Doctor said. Vincent nodded and ducked back into his house.

The group went down the alleyway to where the Tardis was parked. Amy was linked up with Vincent and Artemis did the same but with the Doctor.

"Now, you know we've had quite a few chats about the possibility there might be more to life than normal people imagine?" The Doctor said but groaned as he saw that the Tardis was covered with posters.

"Yes?" Vincent replied slowly.

"This should be fun then," Artemis said with a smile as the Doctor sliced down the posters with his key and opened the door. The group moved out of the way, letting Vincent enter first into the magical time machine. Vincent stuck his head out to examine the outside and they all giggled at his reaction.

"How come I'm the crazy one and you three have stayed sane?" Vincent asked jokingly.

"I wouldn't say we are all sane," Artemis replied under her breath.

The Doctor stepped in after Vincent and Vincent took off his hat and placed it on the coat rack at the doorway as Amy laughed outright. They all headed up to the console and Vincent walked around it in awe. Artemis stood in awe as she too was still fairly new to seeing the Tardis.

"What do these things all do?" Vincent asked as he stared at all the buttons and levers that were scattered around the console.

"Oh, a huge variety of things. This one here," the Doctor began as he turned a knob and music began to fill the Tardis, "for instance, plays soothing music." Artemis smiled as the Doctor danced slightly. "While this one makes a huge amount of noise." The Doctor flipped a level and a loud and harsh noise filled the room, causing everyone to cover their ears in pain. "And this one makes everything go tonto." Artemis clenched the railing, knowing that it would soon shake. The Doctor flipped the level and the Tardis began to shake wildly as they took off. Artemis laughed as Vincent stumbled around, trying to grab onto something to stable himself.

"And this one?" Vincent asked as he pointed to something on the console. The Doctor's eyes widened in fear as he batted the painter's hand away.

"That's a friction contrafibulator!"

"And this?"

"That's ketchup and the one next to it is mustard," Artemis shouted from across the Tardis with a grin.

Vincent smiled over to Artemis and slapped a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "Come on. Back to the cafe and you can tell me about all the wonders of the universe."

Artemis shook her head and looked at the Doctor but Amy spoke before she could, "I thought there was something else you wanted to show him first?"

The Doctor pointed at her, relieved that she said something. "Yes, you're right! Outside, if you would Vincent." He clapped a hand on Vincent's arm and guided him to the Tardis bay doors and maneuvered him outside in the streets. Artemis and Amy followed closely behind the men as they entered the Musee D'Orsay.

"Where are we?" Vincent asked confused as he stared at all the strange things he saw in the street.

"Paris 2010 AD. And this is the might Musee D'Orsay, home to many of the greatest paintings in history," the Doctor explained.

"Oh, that's wonderful," Vincent smiled, staring up at the building. But he looked in confusion at two men, who walked by playing music on a portable radio.

"Ignore that. I've got something more important to show you."

The group entered the building and Vincent looked at all the amazing pieces of art that were placed about. Statues and sculptures stood still as crowds gazed up at them. They soon reached the Van Gogh section of the museum and Doctor search around, trying to find Dr. Black.

Artemis smiled at the pure confusion on Van Gogh's face, she reached down and squeezed the painters hand. She watched as the Doctor found the lecturer and tapped him on the shoulder. Artemis led Vincent closer to the Doctor and Dr. Black.

"We were just wondering, between you and me, in 100 words, where do you think Van Gogh rates in the history of art?" The Doctor asked Dr. Black while eyeing Vincent.

"Well, big question. But, to me, Van Gogh is the finest painter of them all," he answered honestly.

Artemis watched as Vincent began to tear up at the kind man's words. She too began to tear up, not at the words spoken, but at Vincent's reaction.

"Certainly, the most popular, great painter of all time, the most beloved. His command of color, the most magnificent. He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty. Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world - no one had ever done it before. Perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange, wild man who roamed the fields of Provence was not only the world's greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived."

Artemis silently let a tear out as she looked up to Vincent, sobbing in happiness, but the Doctor didn't see it like that. The Doctor's smile quickly wiped off his face as he walked over to Vincent and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Vincent. I'm sorry. Is it too much?"

"No," Vincent said through the tears. "They are tears of joy." Vincent looked over to Dr. Black and quickly walked up to him and kissed him, a friendly gesture, on his cheeks. He then clasped his arms around him and thanked him.

Dr. Black looked in confusion at the strange man who was embracing him and spoke quietly, "You're welcome?"

Artemis laughed through a tear as Vincent apologized for his beard while rubbing it as he backed away from Dr. Black.

The Tardis landed back in 1890 in a field in France. Vincent stepped out with a grin and his hat in his hands. The trio following after closely.

"This changes everything!" Vincent exclaimed. "I'll step out tomorrow with my easel on my back a different man." He turned around to the trio. "I still can't believe that one of the haystacks was in the museum. How embarrassing," Vincent confessed.

Artemis and Amy giggled while the Doctor said with a smile, "It's been a great adventure and a great honor." The Doctor pulled the painter in for a big hug and held him there for a moment.

"You've turned out to be the first doctor ever actually to make a difference to my life," Vincent told the Time Lord.

"I'm delighted. I won't ever forget you." The Doctor walked over to the Tardis and grabbed Artemis' waiting hand, leaving Amy and Vincent to speak.

Artemis watched with sad eyes as she saw the last of Vincent Van Gogh from the corner of her eye as Amy said to the Doctor, happily, "Come on. Let's go back to the gallery, right now."

The Doctor pulled a few levers, send the Tardis off into the vortex. Artemis sat down on the captain's chair and frowned, knowing that this didn't cause him to live longer, only make the life he had better. But that was enough for Artemis. Amy giggled in anticipation, excited to see the new art that Vincent had probably created.

The Tardis landed and Amy shot out of the doors, the Doctor and Artemis following closely. "Time can be rewritten!" She exclaimed as she ran into the building. "I know it can! Come on!" Amy ran up the stairs with joy and exclaimed, "Oh, the long life of Vincent Van Gogh." She looked behind when she made it up the stairs, making sure the TIme Lords were still there. She didn't take notice of Artemis' frown however as she continued on to the gallery. "There'll be hundreds of new paintings."

"I'm not sure there will," Doctor confessed.

Artemis walked slowly as Amy rushed into the gallery that held hundreds of Vincent's paintings, but not hundreds of new ones. Amy scanned the walls, searching for brand new paintings. But Amy was grief-stricken as she overheard the lecturer say that Vincent still committed suicide.

"So, you were right," Amy said in sorrow. "No new paintings. We didn't make a difference at all." She stared at the Doctor in disbelief as he walked closer to her.

"I wouldn't say that," the Doctor said softly. "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things." He brought her in for a hug as she whimpered. "Good things, don't always soften the bad things. But, vice versa the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant." The Doctor broke the embrace and clasped his hands around her head gently, bringing their foreheads closer. "And we definitely added to his pile of good things." He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to a painting. "And, if you look carefully, maybe we did indeed make a couple of little changes." Artemis looked over to the single painting that brought them all there and inside the window, it was empty.

"No Krafayis," Amy breathed out and smiled slightly.

Artemis' attention was brought to something else because, in the corner of her eyes, she saw something new. A new painting hung on the wall. A new painting of her. She gasped as she approached it, tears filling her eyes slightly. Swirls of blue and purple were spread across the background of the painting, surrounding the picture of herself. She reached a hand out to the painting but stopped short when she saw a plaque next to it. It read, _To Artemis. The skies are filled with your name. _Artemis choked out a laugh as a single tear fell from her eyes. She looked back over to the Doctor and Amy and silently walked over to them, not telling them about the image of her.

Inside the Tardis, Amy went to her room to sleep, but Artemis and the Doctor were still in the console room. Artemis still didn't understand what was happening to her or her life, but she hoped the Doctor would help. Artemis parted her lips to ask the Doctor a question as he fiddled with the Tardis' console but was interrupted by a sharp and hot pain coming from her locket. She winced harshly as she stood up, her body filling with warmth.

"Doctor?" she asked nervously. "What's happening?"

The Doctor looked up from his tinkering and his eyes grew as he saw a light glow appear from her locket. He ran over to her side and held her hands tightly. "Artemis, this means you're about to hop to another part of my timeline."

Artemis groaned as she grew hotter. "Is it always this painful?" She hissed out.

The Doctor frowned, "Not always… you get used to it."

"And…" Artemis grunted in pain. "You know where I'm going right? I'm not going to pop up in some volcano or something right?"

The Doctor stayed silent and Artemis' eyes widened in fear. "You mean you don't know?" She hissed out.

"You'll be fine Arty. This means you'll be with future me and I hope," The Doctor gripped her hands tightly and leaned his forehead forward, touching her own with his gently. "No, I _know _you'll be safe."

Artemis parted her lips to speak but the glow grew too bright for her to see and soon she felt the ground give way around her. Her body was dumped with a thud and she groaned out in pain at the sudden jerk. The warmth that was once surrounding her body soon disappeared into the warmth of the older Tardis.

Artemis scanned the new surroundings with amazement. The cluttered desktop of the 11th Doctor was now cleaned up and replaced with a simple but incredible desktop. She groaned in pain as she struggled to sit upright after being so harshly thrown about the vortex.

"Ah, Arty!" A feminine voice shouted across from her. Artemis looked over to see the body of the 13th Doctor bounding over to her happily. The Doctor helped up Artemis excitedly and Artemis cautiously accepted this help. Artemis gulped as she looked up and down at the Doctor's new _features_. And she parted her lips to speak but was interrupted when a sudden pair of lips attacked her own.

The 13th Doctor kissed Artemis quickly, just a single peck before she turned around back to the console. Artemis stood in complete shock at what had just occurred. Her eyes scanned to see three new bodies scattered around the Tardis. She could recognize them as Yaz, Ryan, and Graham.

"I-I," Artemis sputtered out.

"So, where to now fam?" The Doctor asked cheerfully, not even paying attention to her companions who were now pointing at the other Time Lady behind her. The Doctor waited in silence and groaned when she didn't receive and answer. She turned around to Artemis' frozen body and cocked a brow at the stance she held.

Artemis' face was blistering red, not from just hopping over the timeline, but from the kiss that was bestowed upon her.

"Oi, Arty, you ok?" The Doctor asked cautiously while approaching her.

"Doc," Graham said, catching her attention. "Doesn't she looked rather young?"

The Doctor whipped her head around with wide eyes and pulled out her sonic screwdriver and scanned the frozen body of Artemis. When she pulled the sonic up to her face to read it, she winced. Clearing her throat, the Doctor asked Artemis carefully, "Where did you just come from exactly?"

"I-um…" Artemis' body relaxed slightly as she thought about the adventure she had just been on. "Vincent Van Gogh."

This seemed to confirm what the Doctor was thinking because she winced out loud and clapped her hands together, "Just forget I ever did that then!" The Doctor turned back around to the console and flipped a few more switches. Artemis cleared her throat and took a few more steps to the console, watching as the Doctor tinkered with some more levers.

Ryan, Yaz, and Graham all surrounded the Doctor and Yaz quietly asked her, "So what just happened?"

The Doctor looked over her shoulder to see Artemis, who cocked a brow and waved hesitantly at the group that was now huddled around the console. The Doctor looked back over to Yaz and spoke softly, "This is very early for Artemis. It's only her second jump." The companion's eyes all grew wider at this new information and Yaz nodded slowly before breaking off from the huddle, the other soon following suit.

"Well," the Doctor began, clapping her hands together. "I say, since it's only Artemis' second trip, that she gets to choose!" Everyone in the Tardis' eyes looked over to Artemis' shocked expression and waited for her response.

"I guess I wouldn't mind seeing Nikola Tesla?" Artemis answered insecurely.

The Doctor grinned as she flipped some levers and pushed some buttons, "You heard the lady!" She exclaimed. "Let's go see one Nikola Tesla!"

* * *

~A/N~

We get to see Artemis now interact with a new Doctor! I know she isn't a fan favorite like the 11th or 10th, but I really wanted to write her into this story!


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR -** **Tesla's Nightmare**

Artemis watched from her seat on the captain's chair at the Doctor and the companions. She eyed the new body of the Doctor, finding it strange that she jumped all over the Doctor's timeline. Artemis knew that the Doctor regenerated into female bodies, but seeing it in person was… different.

Back in her dimension, Artemis never truly had time for boyfriends. She had a few during her later teen years and into her adult life. But she never had a girlfriend. She didn't even know why she was thinking about this fact, but she thought it was relevant. And Artemis wasn't opposed to girls, she never truly thought about them, but she wasn't opposed.

She picked at her nails nervously as she watched the Doctor fiddle with switches. The Doctor smiled at the companions in the room and pointed to the hallway and spoke. "Go on and get dressed fam."

Artemis' gaze fell back down to her fingers as the Doctor turned around to her. She gulped slightly as she heard heeled footsteps coming closer to her. A shadow loomed over her and she could feel the presence of the Time Lady in front of her.

With a gentle hand, the Doctor placed a hand under Artemis chin, guiding her head to look up at her. She slowly dragged the hand away from her. Artemis' green eyes met the Doctor's now green ones.

"Are you really ok?" The Doctor's feminine voice asked with concern.

Artemis' breath hitched in her throat at this question, her eyes wide. She paused for a moment, pondering what she would say. "I…" She paused. "I don't know. It's just that this is all so weird and new and strange and…" She breathed deep. "I don't know what is going on. And I know I just had this conversation with a younger you, but I just," Artemis sighed out, holding her head in her hands.

"Hey, hey, hey, I will always help, no matter what age or incarnation I am," the Doctor spoke calmly, kneeling down and placing a comforting hand on her knee.

Artemis looked up from her hands and smiled at the Doctor.

"Now come on! You got to get dressed for the occasion," the Doctor spoke with a smile, standing up with a jump. "We are meeting Mr. Tesla after all." The Doctor bounded over to the console as Artemis stood up, following behind her.

She stood awkwardly next to the Doctor. The Doctor glanced over and waved her hand over to the same hallway that the rest of the companions went. "Go on," the Doctor said with a wave.

"Oh, well I," Artemis started. The Doctor stopped what she was doing and looked over to Artemis with a cocked brow. "I don't know exactly where-"

"Oh!" The Doctor interrupted. "You don't know the Tardis yet!" The Doctor raised her hands up before grasping them together happily. She circled around the Tardis console happily before she met Artemis and grasped her hands, tugging her toward the hallway.

Artemis giggled as the Doctor tugged her around the Tardis. She looked at the passing doors as the Doctor exclaimed what each was.

The Doctor pointed at a door they passed. "That's the spa room. And that's the red room. Oh! And that's," the paused pointed at a circular shaped door. "That's the circle room."

Artemis cocked a brow and laughed out, "What's that?"

"Not much, just a room that's a circle." The Doctor didn't give her much more time to process before she pulled her away again. "Come on!" The Doctor shouted in excitement.

Artemis didn't get much time to admire the rooms and the decor as the Doctor continued to tug her away from each one. They ran past the library, the pool, the kitchen, and every other room they could before the Doctor finally stopped in front of a large white and wooden door. The Doctor turned around to gaze at Artemis with a wide grin and gestured to the room.

"This is your room! Go ahead."

Artemis stared at the door handle as the Doctor waited for her response. Slowly, Artemis reached out and gripped the surprisingly warm handle. She held her breath slightly as she slid the white door open. The breath she was holding then escaped her quickly as she scanned the large and bright room. The room was a replica of her room back in her own universe except it had a few bits that were new. One of them being that the new room was larger and brighter than hers. Musical instruments were strewn about the room. Instruments that she could play, like a piano and violin, and a few that she wanted to but couldn't, like a harp and a flute.

The Doctor stepped behind Artemis and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and grinned at her amazed expression. Artemis looked over to the Doctor in shock and happiness and hugged her tightly. The older Time Lady stood in shock for a moment before she quickly embraced Artemis back. The two needed no words at this moment, only each other's presence was enough. However, after a moment, the Doctor pulled away and pointed to the large closet.

"Go get changed," she said with a light shove. "The Tardis will pick out some outfits for the time period."

Artemis smiled and looked back at the Doctor for a moment before she walked over to the closet. The sound of the door closing shut let Artemis know she was alone. With a deep breath, she pried open the doors to the closet and gasped as she saw a vast room with shelves and rooks filled to the brim with clothing from every time period. Clothes she wished she had back in her old life that she could never afford. Artemis' eyes scanned the hangers for an outfit and reached her hand out to grab a long coat when she overheard a soft hum coming from the ceiling.

Artemis looked up at the empty ceiling and looked over her shoulder, thinking maybe the Doctor came in and this was the way that the Tardis was telling her, but instead, Artemis found on the chair by the entrance of the closet, a whole outfit set for her. She smiled and nodded to the ceiling in gratitude before she reached out and turned over the outfit in her hands.

The control was filled with the rest of the group, all of them already dressed in age-appropriate clothing, except for the Doctor who was dressed in her usual outfit. Artemis smiled, as she walked down the stairs silently to meet the group. The noise in the Tardis quickly turned into a silent hull as the group all turned around at the sound of Artemis' small heeled boots clicking against the floor. Artemis smiled awkwardly, not quite knowing how to react to the sudden attention on her.

The Doctor's eyes widened slightly as she caught a glimpse of Artemis quickly making her way down the stairs. "Artemis you look-" The Doctor was quickly interrupted by a loud beeping coming from the center console. She furrowed her brows and pivoted back around, looking at the blinking red light.

Artemis hurried down the stairs and rushed to the Doctor's side, trying to figure out what was wrong alongside the rest of the group. The Doctor pulled a few levers and pushed some buttons, silencing the beeping before she then pulled the swiveling monitor toward her. Her eyes skimmed the screen before she pushed it back and pulled more levers, sending the Tardis through time and space.

Artemis, Yaz, Ryan, and Graham all gripped tightly as the shuttering of the Tardis in flight shook them around. Artemis' eyes scanned the Doctor's face, noticing a slight frown carved into it.

"What did it say, Doctor?" Artemis shouted over the loud sounds of the Tardis.

The Doctor looked down slightly at Artemis and held a soft smile, "Oh, just a funny energy reading, so we are going to go check it out."

Yaz frowned as she overheard this. She gripped tight to the console as she moved closer to the two Time Lady's. "Oi!" Yaz captured their attention. "What about Tesla? I thought we were going to see him?"

The Doctor flipped another switch, sending the rattling Tardis to a still as the familiar wheezing sound of the Tardis took over their ears. "That's the funny thing Yaz." She looked back around at Yaz with a smile. "The funny energy signal is from Tesla." The Doctor raised her hand and snapped her fingers loudly. The Tardis door swung open, revealing a gloomy but older looking street. Artemis grinned as she stared at the outside world.

The group was split up, trying to find the source of the new and strange energy signal. Yaz, Ryan, and Graham in one group, and the Doctor and Artemis in the other. Artemis knew exactly where they were and what was to happen, however, she couldn't nor would she tell the Doctor.

The Doctor told the other trio to meet them on the train in the evening, whether or not they found something. Of course, the Doctor sent them to a safe but wild goose chase because she didn't want them to be on a dangerous trial on their own. But the Doctor couldn't say the same for Artemis and herself. The Doctor tracked the strange signal to a building, or rather an older warehouse.

With the Tardis now parked outside the building, the two Time Ladies searched the building for the signal. Artemis walked beside the Doctor's cautious frame as they carefully searched throughout the dark building. The Doctor held her sonic screwdriver in one hand, and Artemis' in another. Artemis, although feeling awkward, like the comfort that her hand held. The older Time Lady wore a light attached to her head and continuously buzzed the screwdriver, scanning the air.

"So, is there a reason why you have a tendency to hold my hand?" Artemis asked quietly in the silent air.

The Doctor kept looking forward and paused slightly in her steps, "Well I… I just want to make sure you're safe." The Doctor looked over her shoulder at Artemis' curious gaze and smiled softly. "It is one of your first adventures after all."

Artemis scanned the Doctor's expression as she looked back to the front. She frowned slightly, knowing that the Doctor wasn't the best liar and this only proved her point. But Artemis didn't push further for an answer.

A sudden and loud banging noise interrupted the pair and they both stopped short in their tracks, listening for any more. The Doctor scanned the air once more but groaned in frustration as nothing came up on the sonic. Artemis rolled her eyes slightly as she tugged the Doctor's hand, pulling her to the door up ahead in the dark hall. The Doctor yelped softly at the sudden force pulling her down the hall and she quickly placed the sonic back in her coat pocket. Artemis knew who was at the other side of that door and what would happen if they didn't reach them in time, so she wasted no time in shoving the door open roughly.

On the other side of the door, a man and a woman were squatting down behind a few wooden crates. The pair on the floor stared up at the Time Ladies in confusion and shock. The Doctor took in the new room slightly before looking down at the pair in shock as well.

"Oh, hi!" the Doctor exclaimed. "I don't suppose you've seen anything weird around here?" The Doctor asked with a furrowed brow.

Artemis' eyes widened as she finally caught sight of the figure on the staircase with a raised hand to them. "Duck!" She shouted, pulling the Doctor down to the floor alongside her as the figure shot out a bullet from a gun. The shot barely missed the pair, instead, it hit the wall behind them.

"Argh!" The Doctor shouted as she dropped to the floor suddenly. "I'll take that as a yes!"

Artemis shot back up immediately and dragged the Doctor over to the pair behind the wooden crates. "Mind if we join you?" Artemis panted as she and the Doctor squatted down. However, this didn't last long as the figure that was shooting at them was shot at by someone or something else.

The man fell the last few steps of the staircase and tumbled to the ground. A faint green glow could be seen from the top of the stairs, indicating that the thing that shot him was still there. The man on the floor was still and his eyes closed in a peaceful manner.

The Doctor quickly rushed over to the body and scanned him for any strange signs. Artemis sighed out to herself but kept an eye on the top of the staircase.

"It's Mr. Brady!" The woman behind the crates gasped.

The man beside her replied, "Why would a potential investor be shooting at us?"

"More urgently, who shot him?" The Doctor asked, her gaze still on the still body.

Artemis gasped as she saw that the figure at the top of the staircase raised their arm, a green glow surrounding the opening of what she thought was a gun. Gripping the Doctor's coat and pushing the pair beside them, Artemis flung herself across the room, protecting them all from the incoming shot that hit the wall beside them. The shot didn't look like a normal gunshot as the charge was neon green and electric in nature. The man and woman groaned as they were pushed harshly out of the way, but Artemis got the brunt of the blow as the Doctor fell on top of her as Artemis tugged her down with her. The Doctor hissed in pain as she pushed herself up, looking down at Artemis' shocked face. She smiled awkwardly before she pushed herself up and grabbed Artemis hand, tugging her up as well.

"Run!" The Doctor shouted as they all sprinted out the room.

As they were running out of the building, the man shouted out, "Who are you, people?"

Artemis looked back at the man while running and replied, "People that are saving you!"

The night was cold as a single, dark train rushed down the tracks. Inside, everyone met up with each other. Yaz, Ryan, and Graham all were seated in the train car playing cards while waiting for the Doctor and Artemis.

The Doctor held Artemis' hand as they entered the dark and deserted train car. The Doctor sighed in relief as she swung the door open to reveal the rest of the group.

"Ah, here we go, perfect getaway vehicle. Full speed, straight to New York," the Doctor said as she put down her headlight on the table next to her. "What did I say. Night train, right on schedule." Artemis smiled at the Doctor and squeezed her hand slightly before letting go on her hold.

Ryan looked up at the Doctor in confusion. "Did you find out what was causing this energy signal, then?"

Artemis chuckled slightly and turned back around to the pair behind them. "Nope," Artemis said while shaking her head.

The Doctor groaned, "No, but we found these two." The Doctor gestured to the pair behind her who looked at each other in confusion.

Graham slowly took off his hat as the trio sitting down realized there were strangers in the room with him. He stood up and lifted his hat in a friendly gesture. "Welcome to the Orient Express. We travel in style." Graham placed his hat back on his head as he sat back down.

"This is Graham, Yaz, and Ryan," the Doctor introduced them. Each one of them raised their hand as their name was called, letting the pair know who was who.

Artemis rolled her eyes as the Doctor completely glossed over their own names. "And," Artemis drawled as she interrupted. Both of the strangers looked over to her with a confused look. "I am Artemis," she gestured to herself and then placed a gentle hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "And this is the Doctor."

The Doctor smiled at Artemis before continuing, "Now that you are all caught up on our names, we were about to visit a person when I picked up a funny energy reading. Thought I'd check it out." The Doctor turned around to the seated trio behind her and said, "Ran into a tiny bit of trouble at the plant." But she quickly turned back around to the strangers with a calming hand raised. "Nothing to worry about! We've lost them. So, here we are."

Artemis stepped back to the wooden crate behind her and leaned against it, her arms crossed. She watched with watchful eyes as the Doctor asked who they were.

"Dorothy," the shorter woman replied. "Dorothy Skerritt." She stepped forward to shake the Doctor's hand.

"I am Nikola Tesla," the tall man also stepped forward to shake the Doctor's hand firmly. Artemis grinned widely as she pushed herself up from the crates and uncrossed her arms. "and I assure you I have no idea," Tesla replied. The Doctor looked over to Artemis with a small grin as she pointed to the man. Artemis only nodded in reply, but a wide grin was present on her face.

"Tesla!" The Doctor exclaimed as she held onto his hand for a bit too long. "I knew you looked familiar!" She said in awe. The Doctor turned around to Artemis and the gang behind her. "Did you know?!" The Doctor whispered loudly to Artemis and then looked behind at the trio sitting down, "It's only Nikola Tesla!" The Doctor looked back at Artemis, who smiled and nodded slightly. The Doctor grinned widely as Artemis confirmed what she asked.

"Who?" Yaz asked the group.

"Nicholas something," Ryan replied.

Artemis scoffed in disbelief at the trio's complete ignorance to the mastermind next to them. "He's only one of the brightest minds in modern history!" She spoke out while looking at the trio.

"Total genius!" The Doctor turned back around to Tesla. "I've always wanted to meet you." The Doctor's smile was wiped off her face as she said the next part. "Shame you're a big fat liar."

Tesla's confusion grew even more as he asked in disbelief, "Pardon?"

A sudden jolt of the train sent everyone stumbling and grasping for stability. Artemis gasped in shock as she was so caught up in Tesla's limelight, that she completely forgot what happened next.

The door of the train car slammed open with a bang and a dark figure could be seen, looming over them all. The cloaked form was illuminated from the back, giving the train car an eerie feeling.

"Doctor!" Yaz and Artemis shouted over the screeching of the train's wheels.

"And we're off again," the Doctor spoke in a hurry as she grabbed Artemis' hand tightly, running to the other exit of the train car.

"Go, go, go!" Graham shouted as he ushered everyone out of the room.

They barely made it out of the room in time before the figure shot out another blast of green, deadly, energy at them. Artemis yelped as the sudden blast to the wall scared her.

"Who's that?" Ryan asked as the Doctor pulled out her sonic with one hand and used it on the door, locking it shut.

"I don't know," she gasped as she squeezed Artemis' hand reassuringly. "Locked it!" Her and Artemis pressed their bodies against the door, holding it for a moment against the figure. "Keep going!" The Doctor shouted to the rest of the group. Her body shook as the figure on the other side of the door was banging against it, trying to break in.

The group at the end of the room hesitated at the open door but eventually, they all made it across, except for Tesla, the Doctor, and Artemis. Artemis grunted as her body was shaken harshly against the door. But suddenly, it went still.

At the other side of the room, Tesla whispered, "It's quiet."

"Why has it gone quiet?" The Doctor asked, concerned.

Artemis kept an eye to the ceiling as a creaking sound gave way to where the figure was. The figure then suddenly burst through the ceiling and dropped to the floor, startling the Doctor and Tesla. The Doctor gaped in shock as the figure aimed its weapon at the Time Ladies. Artemis' brows were raised in worry as she tugged the Doctor to the side, barely dodging the deadly blast. Artemis didn't have time to think as the Doctor struggled to get up from the boxes she was flung into and the figure turned around to Tesla and raised its weapon, ready to fire.

Artemis reached into the Doctor's pocket, pulled out the sonic, and aimed it at the ceiling, where a large metal cover was dangling dangerously. The metal cover was set loose at the sonic' use and it crashed down at the figure, sending them to the floor with a thud. Artemis huffed out as she lowered her arm slowly, not truly comprehending that she had just saved Tesla.

The Doctor stood up from the ground and looked at Artemis in awe. But she didn't waste any more time as she quickly bent down to the figure and stole its weapon. "I'll take that!" She said as she took it, panting.

"Uh… here," Artemis said hesitantly, handing over the Doctor's sonic. The Doctor smiled slightly and took it, along with her hand once more.

"Keep it moving then," the Doctor said to Tesla, who looked at the two woman in shock. The trio ran to the train car's exit and jumped over the open tracks to the next train car where the rest of the group was waiting for them. Artemis grunted as she hopped the divider between the train cars and stumbled slightly into the Doctors grasp. The Doctor quickly adjusted her right and turned back to the figure behind them now.

"Missing something?" The Doctor asked confidently.

The figure suddenly opened a palm, revealing a red electric current flowing through it as it warmed up to shoot it at the Doctor. The Doctor gasped as she bent down, trying to unlock the cars from each other.

"Come on!" The Doctor exclaimed as she struggled with the connector. "It's rusted together!" Artemis gasped as she bent down too, trying to help the Doctor. With their forces combined, they finally separated the train cars.

The figure sent a stream of the red electrical current at them but the sudden jolt of the cars being detached caused him to miss by a few inches. Artemis sighed a breath of relief as the dangerous individual was now far away down the tracks. Artemis turned back around to the group and leaned against the wall, huffing slightly.

"Silurian blaster," the Doctor said as she placed the weapon down on the table near the center of the train car. "Nasty, deadly thing. But here's the funny part, whatever was firing-"

"Wasn't Silurian," Artemis finished for her. She pushed herself off the wall and stood beside the Doctor, gazing down at the weapon. "So, Nikola Tesla, why is someone chasing you with an alien gun?" She gestured to the lethal weapon. The Doctor looked at Artemis, first in shock, but then in pride as she grinned at the fierce argument that she gave to the man.

"You believe this is alien?" Tesla asked both the Doctor and Artemis as he pointed to the gun and was about to reach for it when the Doctor stopped him short.

"Not so fast, you big, fat liar," the Doctor said.

"Why do you keep saying that?"

Artemis crossed her arms over her chest and puffed it out slightly, trying to assert her confidence over the man. However, she failed to realize how tight the outfit she was in and she struggled to do this.

Dorothy, the woman with Tesla, asked the group behind them quietly. "Is she always this impertinent?"

"Yes," the entire group confirmed at once. Artemis nodded her head as in answer, but kept her focus on the man in front of her.

"First thing I asked you, I said, 'Have you seen anything weird?' And there's one important thing you failed to mention," the Doctor scolded. "See I started this evening chasing an unusual energy reading. I followed that signal, loud and clear, to the Niagara Generator." The Doctor reached into her pocket and pulled out her sonic. "So why am I still detecting it on board this train with you?" She scanned his body up and down and glanced at the results. "Whatever it is, hand it over," she demanded.

"This is one of the most miraculous things I've seen in my life. It's a mystery I intend to solve," Tesla spoke to the Doctor and Artemis softly before he directed his message to everyone in the train cart. "And I have no intention of handing it to total strangers!"

"Strangers who just saved your life," Yaz reaffirmed. "Whatever you found is putting you in danger."

Artemis' eyes widened with confirmation as she pointed at Yaz with one finger and placed another one from the opposite hand on the tip of her nose. She nodded vigorously with reassurance to her message.

"Yeah, both of you," Ryan confirmed. "You alright with that?" He quietly asked Dorothy.

Dorothy held her head high as she walked over to Tesla' side. "I agree with Mr. Tesla. If anyone can make sense of this, it's him."

"Well then," the Doctor sighed out. "If you won't hand it over, you leave us no choice." The Doctor took a few steps forward, intimidating the pair in front of her. "We're not letting you out of our sights until we've worked this out." The tension in the room was building as the Doctor grew more and more serious. Like a cold bucket of water being thrown on a hot fire, the Doctor changed her mood drastically. "So where's this lab then?" She said with a giddy smile and placed her hands on her hips. Artemis sighed out and rolled her eyes at this classic shift in mood that only the Doctor could do.

"New York," Tesla replied with a grim look.

"Fantastic!" Artemis said with a wide smile. "Love New York," Artemis breathed out with a grin. She looked over to the Doctor and then back to the trio behind her. "It's like a second home to me." The Doctor looked over to Artemis with a soft smile, but Artemis didn't take notice of it. "It's been pretty British around here," Artemis winced slightly and looked over to the group. "No offense," she whispered. "Glad to stretch out my American ways," she grinned and stretched out her arms in a humorous way.

The train stopped right outside New York City, letting the group off right in the middle of a modern city. They were all on their way to Tesla's lab, breathing in the sights and sounds of the amazing city. Artemis was in awe of the different yet strangely familiar city they were in. Many of the buildings they saw were changed within the next century, however, many still stood in the 21st century. They stood as a base for buildings to come. And the cobblestone streets they walked in wouldn't last much longer as cars became much more mainstream. Some streets adopted the new approach and were paved with new materials, fit for cars.

"Now, this is a bit of all right," the Doctor sighed out in content. "Gilded Age of New York! This is when the modern world begins! New ideas, new technologies, new skyscrapers. More people getting rich quick, and more poor people than ever before," the Doctor walked in between the group of people, educating them on the current time period they were in. Artemis tended to notice that, no matter the regeneration, the Doctor always loved to tell the companions interesting facts and history.

"I always wanted to visit New York, see Times Square," Ryan said, swinging his arms.

Artemis smirked, knowing that the bright lights of New York didn't show up until much later in the 20th century. "A bit too early for that," she stated.

"Empire State Building?" Graham asked.

"Not yet," the Doctor replied with a shake of her head.

"Central Park?" Yaz asked cautiously.

"Yeah," the Doctor confirmed. Artemis chuckled at the look of joy and accomplishment on Yaz's face when she was correct. "Now that has been around for ages."

Artemis frowned as she heard a distant chanting coming from up the street.

"Can you hear yelling?" Ryan asked.

Artemis nodded her head in reply.

Outside Tesla's lab was a large crowd of people, men and women alike, all chanting the phrase, "No to the death current! No AC!" Many of them had signs protesting the same thing they were yelling and all of them shook their fists along with the chants.

The group stopped short of the crowd, Tesla and Dorothy looking on at the crowd with a grim look, knowing fully well why they were there.

"Who are they?" Ryan asked.

"Protestors," Dorothy replied with a frown.

"What are they protesting about?" Yaz asked, looking over the large crowd with a slight frown.

"Me," Tesla replied shortly.

Artemis winced as a woman from the crowd turned around and spotted the inventor. The protestor didn't waste any time and quickly announced to the crowd, "There he is!" The angry swarm of protestors quickly ran over to Tesla and began to shout at him. Tesla kept his gaze on the ground and walked forward to the building. The rest of the group trailed behind him carefully. The inventor made it a few steps before being stopped by an angry man who yelled, "How many more people have to die before you admit your machines aren't safe?"

"My inventions never hurt anyone!" Tesla replied defensively. He took a few more steps forward, trying desperately to get inside the safe haven of the building, but he was once more stopped short when a reporter asked him a question.

"Isn't it true your last invention caused an earthquake?"

"Those were only mild tremors," Tesla replied. He pushed forward once more, careful not to touch or disturb any of the protestors.

"Why are you building weapons on Long Island?" A woman screamed at the inventor.

"Mr. Tesla isn't building any kind of weapon or going to answer any questions!" Dorothy answered for Tesla.

Tesla stepped up the stairs of the building and was about to open the door when a man yelled out, "Foreign lunatic! You don't belong in America!" Artemis could see the tension in Tesla's back as he breathed in deeply and then pivoted around to face the crowd.

"I am an American citizen!" He paused, gathering his calm demeanor. "And you," he pointed to the angry mob. "Are trespassing in front of my lab."

The group pushed the rest of the way through, meeting Tesla on the steps to the building as the angry crowd began to disperse. But before Artemis entered the building, alongside the rest of the group, she paused at the door frame. Slowly and carefully, trying not to raise suspicion with the Doctor and the group, she turned around slowly and scanned the area for the man she knew was there. Her eyes widened and she gulped as her eyes met the eyes of the man sitting down at a table across the street. Quickly, she walked back into the building and shut the door with a bang.

Inside the building, they all stood and waited in an office room. Tesla and Dorothy stood by the desk while the Doctor and Artemis were close by. Tesla was angrily shuffling through letters and cards on the desk before throwing them down. "Me? A lunatic? They wouldn't recognize genius if it hit them in the face," he ranted to himself.

"You alright?" The Doctor asked Tesla as he walked away from the desk.

Tesla paused in his steps and looked back at the Doctor. "Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Their opinions do not affect me," Tesla spit out.

Artemis winced as Tesla walked through the door and slammed it shut harshly. Outside, the chants of the protestors could still be heard, muffled through the walls of the building. Artemis, along with the Doctor, looked back at Dorothy for reassurance. Dorothy sat down and plastered a fake smile on her face.

"He'll just be a moment," she gritted out. A loud rumbling could be heard from the other room where Tesla was. "Why don't you go on through?" She nodded to the lab door.

The Doctor looked to the door where Dorothy gestured and paused for a moment, in awe. "Tesla's lab," she said, out of breath. "This is going to be something special," she said with glee. The Doctor gripped Artemis' hand unannounced, causing Artemis to look up at her in confusion. The Doctor pulled her to the door and hesitated for a moment, trying to imagine what was just behind these closed doors. But when she finally opened them, it was a little disappointing.

The room was big but surprisingly empty for a lab. A few tables with machinery were strewn about. But nothing amazing like they all had imagined. The Doctor and Artemis stood in front of the group, while Ryan closed the door behind them softly.

"I won't lie," the Doctor breathed out. "I was expecting more," she admitted as she scanned her surroundings.

"Well, let's have a look about," Graham said, pushing past Artemis and the Doctor.

The Doctor stayed in place for a moment but moved when Artemis squeezed her hand gently and tugged her forward. Artemis walked over to the nearest table, which held a stack of papers and some machinery. The rest of them walked to the opposite side of the room and observed the items there.

"So Tesla," Ryan started. "Is he something to do with cars, then?"

"Yeah, well, they're named after him. He's a famous inventor, ain't he, Doc?" Graham replied.

Artemis snorted slightly at Graham's response and smiled at the Doctor who rolled her eyes and turned back around at the companions. But before she could reply, Yaz spoke first.

"Yeah? And what did he invent?" She asked with a sass in her voice.

Artemis grinned wider at Graham's dumbstruck look. He paused, thinking of the right words to say.

"Well, he invented the, erm," the older man hesitated. "The whatchamacallit," Graham stammered out, looking at Artemis and the Doctor for help.

Yaz and Artemis both laughed as Graham walked away in shame. The Doctor dropped her hold of Artemis' hand and walked forward to Graham with purpose, a look of determination on her face.

"Nikola Tesla dreams up the 20th century before it happens.

Before you have X-rays, Tesla has shadowgraphs. Before you have drones, Tesla has automatons. Before Marconi gets the patent for radio, they have to take it from Tesla because he invents it first!" The Doctor ranted. She walked around the companions before stopping at one of his inventions. "His work on alternating currents helps electrify the world. He should have been the first billionaire by now, if he hadn't have torn up his contract. Business isn't his strong point." The Doctor leaned down to gaze at the simple, yet complex machinery in front of her.

The sound of the door opening to the lab made everyone turn around. Artemis, who stood the closest to the door, stepped back slightly to let Tesla in.

"Doctor," Tesla greeted. The Doctor paused her scanning of the machine and straightened back up to see Tesla. "I believe you wanted to see this," Tesla spoke breathlessly as he held a hand out to the Doctor. In his palm was a buzzing and glowing green sphere.

Artemis stepped forward and so did the Doctor, in order to view the object with keen eyes. She stood next to the other Time Lady and kept her gaze fixed on the object in his palm.

"Is this what you found in the generator?" The Doctor asked. "Giving off all that energy, but why?" She asked in disbelief. Her gaze briefly met Artemis, almost asking her for an answer, but she shook her head.

What happened next shocked everyone in the room as Tesla gently threw the object in the air and the green item began to float on its own. The buzzing became slightly louder as it floated independently.

"You see how it moves independently? I believe this is something I like to call 'remote control'," Tesla spoke to the Doctor. Everyone's gaze was set on the object intently.

"Remote control," Ryan scoffed. "You came up with that?"

Tesla's gaze fell on Ryan's now. "I believe this is operating on a similar principle." His eyes looked to the Doctor and Artemis. "If we could just work out its purpose!"

The Doctor's eyes were drawn into the object intently and she replied without ever looking away. "I know what it is." This news confused Tesla and the companions alike. However, Artemis smirked, knowing what it was too.

"Orb of Thassor!" Artemis blurted out excitedly. All the eyes in the room landed on her and she winced slightly, lowering her voice. "Sorry," she apologized.

"I've got no idea what it's doing here," the Doctor admitted. Slowly, she raised her hand right underneath the floating orb. The glowing object softly landed in her palm. "The Thassor were one of the ancient races," she spoke as she turned around to the companions with a grin. "Amazing storytellers, inventors, explorers!" She turned back around to Tesla and looked down at the orb. "They built these orbs as a way to spread information, to send out among the stars as a way to share their legacy long after they were gone." She walked over to the table with the orb still buzzing her in hand.

"Why would someone try to kill us to get their hands on that?" Yaz asked.

"I've no idea," the Doctor replied, placing the orb down on the desk inside a large bowl. "But maybe I can find out." The Doctor pulled her sonic back out of her pocket and scanned the orb with it. Tesla caught interest in the sonic and walked over to the Doctor, who lifted her sonic to read its scannings. "I think it's been repurposed." She crouched down to get a level look of the orb and Tesla walked to the other side of the table, watching the Doctor. "But I can't work out what it's doing instead." She straightened back up as Tesla leaned against the table. "This is all wrong," the Doctor exclaimed. She pointed her sonic back at the orb and scanned it once more. "Something this elegant shouldn't be giving off this kind of noise." She lifted the sonic to her eyesight once more and was shocked at the results. "Its energy readings are off the charts!" She shook the sonic, trying to see if maybe it was a glitch.

"That instrument detects energy?" Tesla asked the Doctor with amazement and pointed at the sonic screwdriver. "Is it your own design?" He asked.

Artemis stepped over to the table and leaned against it like Tesla, only on the same side where the Doctor stood. The Doctor grinned. "I made it! Mainly out of spoons." Artemis chuckled.

"Yeah right," Artemis shook her head.

The Doctor looked at her with a frown and faked a gasp, "Well it's better than your- Nevermind!" The Doctor quickly stopped whatever she was about to say and let Tesla speak. However, Artemis kept racking her mind for what the Doctor was going to say before she cut herself off.

"You're an inventor!" Tesla said in awe.

"I have my moments," the Doctor said proudly and looked over to Artemis with a smirk.

"I knew it," Tesla exclaimed. "So you can understand how it feels, you know, when you have an idea a-and to make it real. I don't think there's any greater thrill."

The Doctor looked shocked at this and paused for a moment. "I couldn't agree more."

Tesla laughed under his breath. "You two spoke of aliens. People, you know, laugh at the very idea!" Tesla smiled and looked over to Artemis with a smile as well.

"But not you," Artemis confirmed.

"Well, apparently, I'm not like other people," Tesla admitted. "It can be difficult, you know, to feel no-one else sees the world the way you do. It's like you're, er."

"Out of place," the Doctor finished for him.

Artemis looked up at the Doctor with sad eyes. This was one of the Doctor's oldest regenerations. And with old age comes great suffering. Artemis wished she could relate to her and understand her, but she couldn't, not yet. The Artemis that the Doctor knew wasn't her.

"Yeah," Tesla confirmed under his breath. "I thought I thought things would be different," he stammered. "You know, when I first arrived in America, I had four cents to my name, I was robbed on the journey, but still I thought, "This is the beginning!" Here I would prosper, my ideas would live!"

"Changing the world takes time," the Doctor leaned forward. "You have to be patient."

Tesla sighed, "I try. But you saw them outside. T-they talk as if I was dangerous or mad, or-" He hunched forward more on the desk.

"So prove them wrong!" The Doctor exclaimed to the inventor.

"If you wait for the world to catch up to your genius mind, then it wouldn't be genius anymore. You would be like everyone else," Artemis spoke out, straightened back up once more. Tesla and the Doctor both smiled at the tiny woman, however one was in gratitude and the other was in adoration.

The door then opened, revealing Dorothy with a letter in her hand. "Sir, this was just delivered," Dorothy said as she handed the letter to Tesla. "It's from Mr. Morgan."

"Excellent," Tesla whispered as he began to open the letter. Mr Morgan is the investor behind my Wardenclyffe project." He unfolded the letter and glanced down at the paper. "With his help, we," he paused, looking up at the girls in front of him with a disappointed look. "He's pulling the funding," Tesla frowned deeply. "I-uh, can't complete Wardenclyffe without it. I'm never going to be able to prove it works."

Artemis' brows creased in sorrow, but a sudden movement by the window distracted her. Right as she turned her head to the movement, a bright flash of a bulb blinded her. She winced slightly and blinked rapidly, trying to get used to the light. Everyone else in the room took notice of the invasion and Ryan asked, "Who's that?" The Doctor quickly rushed to the window and whipped out her sonic, scanning at the person that was once there.

"That was Harold Green," Dorothy said. "One of Edison's men." She glanced over to Tesla, who breathed deeply.

"As in Thomas Edison, lightbulb guy?" Yaz asked Artemis, who nodded briefly to confirm her question.

"All right, we all know Edison," Graham said. "It's Tesla you've never heard of."

Artemis scoffed and crossed her arms once more.

"Oi, he's literally standing right there," Ryan told Graham as he gestured to Tesla.

"Right, sorry son," Graham spoke to Tesla.

"Edison, Edison. Of course, it's Edison! He's plagued me every step of my career!" Tesla exclaimed and looked over at Dorothy.

"Edison champions a rival form of electric current to Mr. Tesla's AC," Dorothy explained to the rest of them.

"Direct current, of course, he would champion something so slow and inefficient. That man is a liar and a thief," Tesla vented.

"Are we saying that Thomas Edison is after the Orb of Thassor?" Yaz asked, her brows furrowed deeply.

"Don't be daft, how's Edison's men going to get their hands on a Slymurian laser blaster?" Graham replied.

Artemis snorted and corrected him at the same time that the Doctor did, "Silurian."

"Let's go and find out," the Doctor announced. "You three," she pointed to Tesla, Dorothy, and Yaz, "stay here and guard the orb. You three," she pointed to Graham, Ryan, and Artemis. "With me. Time we paid a visit to Mr. Thomas Edison." Grabbing Artemis' hand, she walked out of the room with a purpose. Ryan and Graham trailed behind the pair as they sped out of the building.

The Doctor, Ryan, Graham, and Artemis were outside the Edison Electric Illuminating Company building where the man himself, Edison, was standing outside talking to a crowd. Reporters and journalists were writing down information as Edison spoke to the intrigued crowd. Artemis could tell by the Doctor speed walking that she meant business. The Doctor was practically fuming as she arrived upon the crowd. In the distance, Artemis could hear the words of Edison vaguely. She couldn't quite make out what he was saying, but she was able to understand the last sentence.

"The Niagara Generator should be shut down," Edison said while holding onto his coat lapels.

"And let me guess!" The Doctor shouted out to the man. The entire group pushed through the crowd of onlookers and reporters to get closer to him. "An Edison generator built in its place?"

Edison smirked and looked over the crowd, specifically at the reporters, who were writing down this conversation. "Couldn't have put it better myself." Edison's cocky tone made Artemis' teeth grind.

"Thomas Edison, can we talk?" The Doctor asked.

Thomas Edison looked down to the Doctor for a moment but then completely ignored her and went on to the crowd saying, "As I was saying-"

"I believe she asked you a question!" Artemis announced, interrupting the inventor. "And I wouldn't ignore me next because I won't hesitate to come up there." She nodded to the platform he was on. The Doctor looked at her with a slight smile.

"We could talk here," the Doctor said. "But I think you'd prefer to go somewhere more private." The Doctor stood up straight, exuding confidence in her words.

Edison looked flabbergasted at her certainty and corrected his lapels by tugging on them. "You want to make an appointment, talk to my secretary."

The Doctor smirked, knowing that she would only need to mention two words to get his full and undivided attention that she needed. These two words were, "Alien weapons." Edison paused for a moment, looking down at the Doctor in shock. "How are you getting your hands on them?" The Doctor asked nonchalantly, not caring about the crowd thinking she was crazy.

Edison chuckled loudly, trying to diverge from the conversation. "Alien weapons?" He bellowed a deep and guttural laugh. "You have the wrong inventor ma'am." The Doctor tilted her head up in a manner that read as 'Are you sure?' She held a soft smirk as Edison tried to write this off as all of Tesla's doing. "It's Nikola Tesla's been talking to Mars. I keep my feet on the ground," he pointed to his feet.

Artemis chuckled as Ryan asked him, "So," he opened his coat slightly, revealing the alien blaster. "You don't recognize this?" Edison looked at Ryan in complete shock, not knowing they had the weapon.

"Let's take this inside," Edison spoke quietly.

Inside the building was a large factory and assembly line. Rows of tables and people working flooded each room. Each person doing their own project or building some new invention. Each table had electric lights hanging over them, illuminating each station with a yellow tint.

"Whoa!" Graham exclaimed. "This is some set-up he's got."

Ryan and Graham stopped for a moment, taking in the entire room.

"See, this guy I've definitely heard of, he's got to be America's most famous inventor," Ryan said to Graham while pointing out the details of the room.

"Yeah," Graham agreed. He paused, looking at a wall with a sign that was lit up with the words 'Edison Brings Light!'. "But not exactly a shrinking violet, is he? I mean, he's plastered his name all over the shop! Talk about tooting your own horn." Ryan and Graham scoffed before joining back up with Artemis and the Doctor, who were led by Edison.

At the end of the long room was a door that led to Edison's closed off office. His office was fairly large and dark, with his own lights illuminating it. Ryan and Graham stood by the door while Edison stood on the other side of his large desk, on the wooden desk was the blaster that intrigued him in the first place. Edison hunched over his desk, gazing down at the blaster like a new source of income.

"I have never seen anything like this in my life," Edison admitted. "Is it your design? Who has the patent?" Edison asked the Doctor, who stood a few feet from his desk.

The Doctor looked at him in shock. "This isn't a business opportunity! Someone tried to shoot us with it just before we caught an employee of yours spying on Nikola Tesla. Someone's trying to steal from him and he seems pretty sure it's you."

"Does he now," Edison spoke with vice in his voice before he sat down at his desk. "Ma'am," Edison clasped his hand together. "I may keep an eye on my rivals, but I do not steal. I have no need to. There are a thousand patents in the Edison name. You might have seen it on the building," he waved a finger around the room, gesturing to the building.

"That's not how Tesla sees it," Ryan said.

"He's sore about the past," Edison smirked. "You know, I gave him a job when he first arrived in this country on the factory floor. He ended up digging ditches for two bucks a day."

"Tesla?" Graham questioned as he walked forward. The Doctor and Artemis stepped out of the way, letting Graham have his time with the inventor. "Dapper dude, who dresses for the opera?" Artemis snorted at this description of him. "How'd he end up digging a ditch?"

"He heard me say I'd pay 50,000 dollars to the man who could fix my generator," Edison smiled. "He worked on that thing day and night for a year. And he did it."

"And you being the upstanding businessman, paid every last cent, I presume?" Graham asked sarcastically.

"I offered him a ten buck raise," Edison said confidently. Artemis scoffed and crossed her arms, trying to wrap her head around this man's open arrogance. "He quit and chose to dig. Man just didn't understand the American sense of humor." Edison smirked.

Artemis scoffed and unfolded her arms and stepped forward to the inventor that was seated. She pointed a straight finger at the man. "I'm American and that is no form of humor I would _ever_ partake in. I am sad to say that American humor in your eyes is being greedy to the point where you take in a man's hard work and then use it for your own personal gain. Some American dream," Artemis scolded the man. Artemis walked over to the edge of the room and leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

"You alright?" The Doctor asked cautiously, walking over to her. Edison was now eyeing the blaster on the table with curiosity, not paying attention to them.

"I take it back," Artemis breathed out. "It can never be too British if the rest of the American's I met are assholes like him," she pointed to Edison.

The Doctor was now scanning the shelves of books that were lined along the walls of Edison's office with her sonic. The readings came up strangely. Nothing normal for this time period.

"Something's wrong," the Doctor said.

"Oh I should say," Edison replied. Artemis glared at him from her spot on the wall. "We've done this dance for long enough." He looked over to Artemis for a moment. "Now what have you done with my man?" The group looked at him with confusion. "Oh don't play dumb," Edison stood up from his seat and walked over to the front of his desk. "He was keeping tabs on that dog-and-pony show of Tesla's at Niagara." He stopped in front of the Doctor, a serious expression on his face. "Now he's gone quiet, the very day you show up pointing the finger."

Artemis heard a low growl come from behind her. She was leaning against the wall right by the entrance to the office. Her mind racked for an answer to what just happened or what was to come next when her eyes widened. She quickly turned around to see a figure walking down the hall to the office.

"Trust me, Mr. Edison. We're not the people you should be worried about," the Doctor said with worry evident in her voice. Artemis ran from the door and to the Doctor as a man with glowing red eyes and a scary demeanor appeared from the entrance. "He is," the Doctor said as she ran further in front of everyone. "Behind me!" She shouted as everyone in the room ran for her protection.

"Harold?" Edison questioned as the Doctor scanned the figure with her sonic and read its readings. "What's the matter with him?" Edison asked.

"That's not Harold Green," the Doctor replied, she dropped her sonic to her side. "No human readings, what is that?" The man slowly approached the group with a low hiss in its voice. "Not possession," the Doctor said. She scanned the figure again. "Psionic image cloaking? Hologram?"

The figure hissed again, but much louder this time, scaring Ryan into grabbing the blaster on the table for defense.

"What are you talking about?" Edison demanded.

"No guns, Ryan!" The Doctor shouted as she pushed him back. Artemis stood forward with the Doctor, encouraging her. "Whatever you are, whatever you've come for, nobody else needs to get hurt!" She pointed her sonic at it once more, but the figure lunged suddenly at them. Artemis jumped out of the way as the Doctor shouted, "Desk!" This caused Ryan and Graham to push the desk forward at the man, who was caught under the weight of the wooden desk. "Run!" The Doctor shouted, pulling Artemis by her hand, the rest of them following closely. As the Doctor pulled her to the factory floor, she tugged away, trying to break from her grasp because she didn't want to see what she let happen. But it was too late.

"Oh my god," Edison whispered.

The factory floor was littered with the bodies of all the workers there. Their stations are empty and projects are let to sit. Artemis ripped her eyes away from the sight and clamped them shut.

"No time," the Doctor said in shock, her eyes scanning the horror scene they were in. She gulped and looked over to Artemis, who still shut her eyes. "Come on, this way," she squeezed Artemis hand and pulled her to another room. The Doctor shut the door of the new room. Artemis breathed deeply and opened her eyes to another workroom.

"Doc, look," Graham stated. The Doctor soniced the door shut and let go of Artemis shaking his hand. On the floor, leaning against a workstation was the familiar body of Harold Green. Graham grabbed the hand of the body, trying to find a pulse. "Oh, he's dead."

Artemis took in a stuttered breath as she looked down at the body. The Doctor leaned forward to get a closer look at the still figure.

"He's the real Harold Green," she said. "Whatever is chasing us is projecting his image and using it to keep his true self hidden. She straightened up and turned around to Edison with a serious expression. "You better not be hiding anything. People have died." Artemis took in another shuddering breath and leaned against a work table.

"My workers!" Edison exclaimed, almost appalled at the fact that the Doctor would blame him for something like this. "All those men work for me. They had families." His gaze moved from the Doctor to the form on the ground and pointed at it. "I had dinner with this guy and his wife last week. I have to tell her," he breathed in a quiet voice and turned around to Ryan, "tell the families. Now give me the gun!" He demanded from Ryan.

"Definitely not," Ryan refused as he backed away from Edison.

"We're not shooting it! We need to contain it, work out what it wants," the Doctor exclaimed to the hysterical inventor. She breathed in deeply and turned around, seeing the various tables with vials and glass containers with liquids in them. "This is your chemical lab. Perfect!" The Doctor said with glee as she walked forward to the nearest table and scanned the vials. "Ammonium nitrate, a bit of green stuff," she said as she turned over some glass vials. "Where's your zinc?" She asked Edison.

"Zinc?!" He exclaimed. "Have you lost your damn mind-" Edison paused as the Doctor looked back at Edison with a smug look. "Oh," he whispered as realization struck him.

"Finally thinking like a scientist," the Doctor said before she turned back around and scanned more vials of chemicals.

* * *

~A/N~

So here's the first chapter that truly involves the 13th Doctor. I hope I do her justice and I know this chapter is particularly boring in parts, but I know it's going to get better after this.

I also try my best to write episodes of Doctor Who in 2-3 chapters because I don't want to prolong it all. So that's why chapters take a little longer to come out. I hope you all don't mind!

xXThatRandomKidXx - Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you are liking the story so far and I hope you continue to enjoy it! I also love how the 13th Doctor and Artemis interact too. I'm sad I don't see many stories about 13th but... that's why I'm here! This chapter didn't quite do justice to 13th and Artemis, but I know the next chapter / coming chapters will!

Miss Moon Eye - Thank you for the review! I'm happy that so many people are loving this story and I think the 13th doctor is amazing too. So I'm glad to fuel the love for it all.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE - The Skithra Queen**

The Doctor had explained that they were planning on trapping the creature by using chemicals to start a fire to keep it at bay. She had hoped that it would be enough, but she could only guess - seeing as how she didn't quite know what they were dealing with.

Artemis stood by warily as the Doctor and Edison grabbed random vials and bottles of liquid. She didn't know how to help or what to grab completely. She had a vague idea of what she could do, but she didn't know if she had the courage to do it.

Although her mind was full of new facts and knowledge, the one thing that didn't change in her mind was the growing cowardice. Artemis didn't know what she could do to change that and be confident in herself, but she would try.

"Where's that zinc?" the Doctor asked, rummaging around the room.

Artemis' eyes glanced over to the workbench by the door and landed on a vial resting against a beaker. She hesitated, looking to see if maybe the Doctor or Edison would find it first, but they hadn't.

"Here," Artemis said, meekly while picking up the vial. She didn't quite know how she knew this vial was zinc, but in her gut, she knew she was correct.

The Doctor turned around, her eyes landing on Artemis, who held up the vial to her. Grinning brightly, she took large steps toward her and snatched the vial out of her palm. And taking that same palm in her own hand, the Doctor tugged her over to the table they were using to concoct their experiment.

The Doctor, Artemis, and the rest of the group hid silently behind one of the many tables in the room. All of them breathed shallowly, Artemis even holding her breath at certain points, as they all waited for the figure to emerge from the doorway. A low hiss and a dark shadow that fell over the hallway outside let them all know that it was time to begin their plan.

The Doctor held a matchbox in her hand as she peered from the edge of the table she was crouching behind. Artemis' skin prickled with fear as she saw the figure's shadow looming over them all and her eyes cast a look at the ring of chemicals dusted on the floor.

They all held their breath as the creature sauntered into the room slowly, carefully. It scanned the darkroom for any sign of life, of movement. And it was so preoccupied in its search that it failed to notice the ring it stepped into.

The Doctor quickly readied the match, striking it a few times before the flame took shape. The low scraping sound alerted the figure of others in the room and it quickly took notice of the Doctor hiding behind the table. But before it could take another step, the Doctor threw the lit match onto the dangerous ring - setting the circle aflame and trapping the figure inside.

The creature hissed and sneered at the group, particularly the Doctor, as they all stood up from their safe spot. Its red eyes glowed deeply as it scanned the flames licking up at it.

"Plenty more where that came from!" the Doctor said, holding up the burnt match like a weapon. "How about we try this again. Who are you?" The creature hissed in dismay. "Show your true form," the Doctor demanded.

The entire group watched in bewilderment as the figure, surrounded by flames, opened its mouth wide. From it's back, a large and sharp scorpion-like tail sprouted out.

"What in god's name," Edison said in shock and terror.

The creature's face almost seemed to melt as it's true face took form. Giant, sharp teeth took over its gaping mouth. Making the hissing sound seem more plausible now as it looked less human and more… alien.

And as soon as the alien showed its true form, it vanished. Like it was teleported away by a ship or like it did that itself. It left in a bright blip, leaving the entire group gawking at its pure presence, or rather, lack thereof.

Artemis traded a glance with the Doctor, who looked at her with a deep and serious expression. The young woman's heart squeezed as the Doctor turned away and poured the water they had on standby, in case anything went haywire, on the flames.

The group spent no more time gawking about in the building but rather hurried out of there. The Doctor called Yaz, who was currently with Tesla, where they left them. They all ran through the streets of New York in a panic as they tried to get back to Tesla and Yaz as soon as possible.

"Yaz! It's not Edison!" the Doctor shouted over the phone. "I mean, it was, but it turns out its aliens, too! They can look like anyone, so don't let anyone in! Tell Tesla! Tell Dorothy! Lock every door!" she demanded.

Artemis' heart lurched in her chest as the Doctor paused in her speech, knowing that Yaz was currently being confronted by the same aliens they had just been not moments ago.

"Yaz? Yaz, are you alright!" the Doctor asked frantically. She slowed in her steps as she listened desperately for an answer, only to hear the sound of her hanging up.

Artemis, without giving it a second thought, grabbed the Doctor's hand tightly and began to pull her toward the Tardis, which was only a few feet away. And not knowing if it would work and she would be let into the Tardis, or it wouldn't and she was run straight into its bay doors, she snapped. The doors opened.

The Tardis landed inside the lab where they had once been with a thud and a wheeze.

Opening the door cautiously, the Doctor popped her head out first, then moved her body into view of Dorothy, who stood in bewilderment of the box in front of her.

"You're alright," the Doctor heaved a sigh of relief. "You've probably got questions." She nodded sheepishly at the Tardis.

Without sparing another moment, Dorothy breathed out. "They took them."

Ushering her inside the Tardis, the Doctor's mind puzzled with who these aliens were and why they took Tesla and Yaz.

Inside the futuristic box, Artemis stood, biting at her nails nervously as the Doctor shut the door behind her with a snap of her fingers.

She zipped around the dimly lit console, hitting buttons and pulling levers. "Where did they take them?" The Doctor asked as she bent down by the console, toying with a lever. "We know they've got cloaking tech, but if I rig a bypass…" She continued as she screwed in a piece of equipment that looked vaguely like a ship's wheel. "Luckily, high speed inventing is one of my specialisms." She straightened back up and looked back at Artemis, who was now leaning against the railing.

"Do you have any hints?" The Doctor asked her

Artemis' eyes widened as she realized the Doctor was speaking to her. She gripped the railing behind her and pushed herself off it and toward the console. She racked her mind for any information she could give to the Time Lady. Any clues, any hints, any facts that would aid them all in their search.

"The aliens needed someone to help fix something of theirs," Artemis said quietly, afraid that if she said too much or the wrong thing, that the entire timeline would shift dramatically - making an entirely new one that Artemis knew nothing about. "That's all I can say, I swear." she lifted her hands in a defensive position.

The Doctor grinned. "Thank you. That's more than enough." She turned back to the console and began tinkering again.

Artemis released a deep breath and watched as the Doctor placed a strange object on top of what looked like a…toilet plunger? She cocked a brow but stayed silent as the Doctor muttered to herself.

The Doctor hurried around the console, her eyes searching for the glowing orb that had been under scrutiny. Once she found it on the opposite side of the console, she picked it up and placed it gently onto the machine she had just created.

"This is the most extraordinary thing," Edison said. He began wandering around the console, his eyes gazing at all the strange yet beautiful lights and machinery that were strewn about. "Is it a single machine or some kind of, er… mechanical factory?" His eyes looked down to the lever beside him and was about to pull it when Graham stopped him abruptly.

Artemis watched this exchange from the corners of her eyes and thought that Edison couldn't have been more far off from the truth. The Tardis wasn't just some machine or factory, it was a living creature. An intelligent and friendly mind. And although Artemis hadn't been there for long, she could feel it. She could feel in her bones that the Tardis and the Doctor were connected to her somehow.

A foreign but welcoming feeling that she never knew she needed in her life. And she wondered if the Doctor could feel this too. If all Time Lords did.

That thought made Artemis shiver. Knowing that one second the Doctor's mind was full of other Time Lord's presence, and then the next… nothing. Gone, dead from her doing. But the whole Time War was much more complicated than the Doctor knew, but Artemis couldn't tell her. Not yet.

"Oi," Graham said. "You're strictly here on the QT, right?" He paused, looking at Edison with a look of almost… disgust. "So get those dollar signs out of your eyes cos this little lot ain't for sale." He pointed a stiff finger at the Doctor, who was staring at the orb with a childlike curiosity. "Copyright, her!"

Artemis huffed and crossed her arms as she walked over to the two bickering men and stood by, idly watching. Neither of the men took notice of the short girl's presence.

"That's a British accent, isn't it?" Edison said.

Graham affirmed and nodded his head.

"Now there's a country who's never understood business," Edison spat at Graham, who glared at Edison. But not as sharp of a glare as Artemis.

Her eyes bore holes into Edison's head as she narrowed them. Almost as if she narrowed them, there would be pain from the glare. Normally, she would be nervous about being with a stranger, let alone a historic inventor. But she crossed over that line when she knew a person was being rude or downright evil to another. Uncrossing her arms, she stomped over to the American man and cleared her throat.

Both Graham and Edison's eyes gazed down upon her sharp green ones. However, Graham was the only one out of the pair who stiffened upon seeing her glare. He had seen that same look only a few other times, but it was enough to make any person go frozen with fear.

"Excuse me, but unlike Graham here," she gestured to the man in question. "I am American, kind of like you." She forced a fake grin out, but her eyes showed a different emotion behind the fake facade. "And I really hate to be a bearer of bad news but…" she sighed out a long and dramatic breath. "Unlike you, I am actually a good American. And it's people like you," she jabbed a sharp finger into his chest, causing him to stumble slightly. "Who ruin the reputation for the rest of us." Artemis glanced back at Graham with a sincere smile before turning back to Edison's baffled and almost frightened expression, with a sharp glare.

"Okay?" Artemis gritted out as she tilted her head in a condescending manner toward the man before she pivoted away and walked back to the Doctor. She breathed out a frustrated sigh and noticed the Doctor fidgeting with the orb once more before turning around to see a screen details regarding the aliens.

"Of course! That's why they left it behind," the Doctor spoke to herself. She had a bad habit of doing this, and as much as an older Artemis told her to keep it to herself, she couldn't. "It's been hacked. It's not broadcasting anymore, it's receiving."

Everyone's eyes landed on the screen, which flipped through several images of the Earth and its population, the human race.

Artemis stood beside the Doctor, her gaze on the screen, but also occasionally glancing back at Edison to make sure he wasn't doing anything.

"You mean it's a bugging device," Graham said. "Thought so. Moment I saw it," he said with feigning confidence, trying to fake out the inventor, who looked at him in disbelief.

"Exactly," the Doctor breathed out in awe. "Repurposed from its original intent. It's been scanning the Earth since it's got here." She picked through her coat, her fingers gripping the sonic before she scanned the screen, causing it to land on a single image of a man. "And it must have finally found what it's been looking for." The man in the image was no other than Nikola Tesla, staring straight back down them all in the Tardis.

Artemis gulped as she watched as the Doctor turned back to everyone with a serious expression. Not a hint of sarcasm or humor in her tone.

"They're hiding their real faces behind projections, they could look like anything, be anywhere. There's no trail!" the Doctor said exasperated.

Artemis cleared her throat lightly, drawing the Doctor's eyes to her. "Not exactly. There's always a trail."

She hesitated slightly as she approached the console, but shook her head and took on a different expression. One of feigning confidence as she pulled levers and pushed buttons. She didn't know how she knew what to push, just that the pressure in her mind led her to the right place.

The Doctor watched on in awe and almost… shock as Artemis fidgeted with the console without faltering. Like she had done this a million times before. But in fact, she had never done this. It was only her second time in the Tardis and she didn't even know where her room was, let alone how to work the Tardis.

But the Doctor grinned.

She knew sooner or later that Artemis would be gaining more knowledge gradually and would soon understand little things that only the Doctor understood. This just meant she was even closer to being a true Time Lady.

"If we're looking for a trail to follow, what if Tesla already found it?" Ryan said.

"But he did," Dorothy said, walking in front of the group, her eyes trailing up to the screen which held an image of a newspaper with the headline, Tesla: I Heard Message From Mars. "The Mars signal. I didn't believe him, not really. But he records all his observations. We have to go to-"

"Wardenclyffe," Artemis interrupted with a sharp voice. She grinned sheepishly at the sudden turn of heads from everyone. "Sorry, but I think it's time we went," Artemis smirked as she flipped a lever confidently sending the Tardis shaking slightly as it flew through time and space.

"What did you do?" the Doctor gasped, running forward to the console. Artemis looked at the Doctor nervously, wondering if she had done something wrong, but in her head, she knew that she hadn't. "Where's the noise?" the Doctor said.

Artemis sighed out but smiled as she realized she hadn't done anything bad. "I just configured a few keys and gears. Did you know that you run this Tardis like a wagon? So many gears and wires are misplaced and the Tardis doesn't have the heart to tell you."

The Doctor gaped at the other woman but stared back at the console with a glare. Artemis smirked as she pushed herself from the console and leaned against the wall by the bay doors.

"You couldn't have told me?" the Doctor argued under her breath to the Tardis console, who only buzzed in reply.

The Tardis' slight movement only lasted for a few seconds longer as it finally landed on the solid ground softly. Pushing the door open, Artemis trotted out of the Tardis and waited as the Doctor followed in a close second.

The lab was filled to the brim with inventions, machinery, and new items that were practically buzzing with energy. And some of them were. Some inventions buzzed loudly and others hummed softly as electricity flowed through them.

"Wow, now this is a lab," Ryan said as he exited the Tardis.

"Mr. Tesla started transferring all of his work to Wardenclyffe months ago," Dorothy said as she walked beside Artemis and the Doctor to a nearby table. She lifted a large item resembling a telescope with careful hands. The two Time Ladies looked on the item with awe. "He intercepted the Mars signal with this. He calls it his Teslascope." Her eyes trailed down to the table where several rolled pieces of paper with lines and numbers written on them were sat. "here are all the readings he took."

"They must have increased the cloaking when they realized he'd spotted them," the Doctor said, lifting up one of the papers to her eyes, only to place it back down on the table.

"Hey!" Dorothy whispered in a harsh tone to Graham. "Don't take your eyes off him and don't let him touch anything."

Graham nodded as he turned over his shoulder to Edison, who stared at the Tardis in amazement and curiosity. Although he understood why Dorothy was so cautious, he didn't understand why he had to be the one to do it. But he agreed nonetheless and kept a watchful eye on the man.

"We're on Long Island," Edison said breathlessly. "This box transported us halfway across New York. Unbelievable."

Artemis grimaced as she heard him call the Tardis a box. But she tried to ignore it as she lifted a scroll of readings, like the Doctor was doing, and read them carefully. Her mind wandered off, ignoring the bickerings of Graham and Edison as her eyes examined the pages for the answer they needed.

"It must be here somewhere," the Doctor muttered.

Artemis frowned as she pulled up yet another scroll of paper, only to see it wasn't what she needed. She glanced over to the Doctor as she lifted up a scroll, and immediately exclaimed.

"Ah, I found it." The Doctor unfurled the scroll as her eyes scrutinized the readings on the paper. "The signal readout. Now we're in business."

Artemis grinned as she saw the Doctor's eyes latched onto the paper. With a friendly gesture, she clapped a hand on the Doctor's shoulder, catching her attention.

"I'll go get it," she said.

The Doctor paused for a moment but smiled when she realized what she meant. It was as if Artemis had read her mind because one second she was in the lab with everyone and the next, she was inside the Tardis, searching for an item that would aid them.

A few minutes passed and then Artemis appeared from the Tardis, a large hexagonal box in her hands. Grunting, Artemis struggled as she pushed the heavy box onto the same table where other reading laid.

Wasting no time, the Doctor clicked open the box and sighed out. "I knew I had one in my toolbox." Her eyes landed on Artemis for a second. "And you knew too." Her hand reached in to grasp one of the many vials inside the case. "Braxium Bouncer, Mark III. Found it at a bazaar." She grinned to the group, almost as if it was an amazing feat, finding something at a bazaar. "I remember when you verbally fought the woman who sold it to us," the Doctor grinned at Artemis, who looked at her in confusion. The Doctor's eyes widened. "Ah, I forgot. You haven't done that quite yet."

Fumbling with the machine in her hands, the Doctor said. "Bit wonky, but I can't take the Tardis." She pressed a tiny button on the side, causing the machine to buzz and glow brightly. "This should give us enough power to transport me, Yaz, and Tesla back here."

Artemis frowned as she said this. She had assumed that the Doctor would take her with her because of her knowledge of everything. But she had assumed wrong.

"But once I'm there, I can't jump back until it recharges itself. Which, you know, I'm not worried about. Definitely. And you shouldn't be worried about it either. Not in the least," the Doctor feigned confidence and glanced over at Artemis, but regretted doing so once she saw the expression she had taken on. One of betrayal and defiance.

"You are not going up there without me," Artemis said while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes I am, Arty, we don't know how dangerous it could be-"

"But I do!" Artemis interrupted.

The Doctor sighed out a frustrated breath and pushed back her hair with one hand. "That's the thing, you know of parts, but not your own future. Please… just listen this one time," the Doctor took Artemis' hand gently, gazing into her hard eyes which were softening by the second.

Artemis groaned but agreed, nodding her head. The Doctor grinned widely and squeezed the hand in her grasp before letting go. She then tapped a few more buttons on the machine before it lit up, engulfing her in bright light and she disappeared from sight.

The remaining Time Lady whined as she tapped her foot anxiously as soon as the Doctor left. She began pacing up and down the room, picking at her nails as she stared at the floor below her. The eyes of Ryan and Graham followed her moving body with worry. They knew how she functioned when the Doctor appeared to be in dangerous situations without her there. But for Artemis, this was her first time stressing over this. She had never known the Doctor long, but in her mind, she had known her for years. Artemis had grown fond of the Doctor and all her reincarnations. But the Doctor too showed some form of fondness for Artemis.

A few minutes passed and no one made a sound. The only noise was from the constant patter and muttering that Artemis did as she bit at her fingers. But soon, there was another noise.

A loud buzzing and crackling noise shook Artemis, causing her to stop her pace and look to where it came from.

Three new bodies appeared in the room and Artemis immediately rushed toward the blonde-haired figure with open arms. Artemis crushed the Doctor between her hands and breathed out a sigh of relief at her safety. The Doctor took a second to realize what was going on before she too hugged Artemis back.

The embrace didn't last much longer as the Doctor and Artemis led the group into the Tardis. Everyone filed through the doors, but one body hesitated at the entrance before finally pushing through.

Tesla gaped at the interior of the Tardis. "Fantastical!" He said breathlessly.

The Doctor and Artemis stood beside the console, pushing buttons and pulling levers.

"I couldn't figure it out either," said Edison.

"The internal dimensions transcend the external."

The Doctor paused in her tinkering of the orb for a moment. "Spot on," she said as she pulled out her sonic and buzzed the orb. Leaning down to the orb, she spoke confidently to the alien on the other side of the call. "Listen up, Skithra queen, it's me, on behalf of Tesla."

Artemis' eyes trailed over to the man in question, only to see him peering into a pair of binoculars. Rolling her eyes, she reached over and tapped him on his shoulder lightly.

"Consider this your official eviction notice," the Doctor continued. "Get your ship away from Earth right now." The Doctor spoke with pure disdain and anger. Artemis had seen this side of the Doctor on the tv more times than she could count, but seeing it in person was a whole other version. It made Artemis' spine shiver and her blood run cold.

"We will take the engineer, or this planet shall burn! Surrender him and your lives may be spared," the alien queen hissed through the orb. Her voice was chilling and harsh. Almost sounding like a constant and deep guttural hiss.

"You can't have him. He's with us. And we're not going anywhere."

"Then we will kill all the teeming millions that infect this world, and you and your friends will die first," the Skithra queen said.

The Doctor straightened her back up and glanced around the Tardis in shock, before landing on Artemis, who gave her a weak frown in return.

"This is the choice you must make. Give us Tesla, or the planet, and all who live on it, shall die," the alien finished and clicked the call, ending the transmission to them.

Artemis gulped as she looked over her shoulder to the inventor with a soft frown and sympathetic eyes.

Tesla looked defeated. His eyes looked down at the floor in dismay and whispered in a soft voice. "It cannot be me or the Earth. You can't place this burden on me." Giving one final look, he turned around and marched out the Tardis doors, into the lab.

Artemis placed a gentle hand on Dorothy as she tried to follow him out. She stopped her in her tracks and gave her a soft smile. But her eyes are what gave away that she truly meant it.

Stepping alongside the Doctor, Artemis left the Tardis and cautiously approached the defeated inventor with the Doctor. He stood in front of the window, gazing out onto the streets where people milled about, not knowing about what was going to happen.

Artemis and the Doctor stopped beside Tesla's sad demeanor and waited. Waited for the right time, waiting for a break in the silence to speak. But Tesla spoke first.

"I've spent my life wondering what might be out there. But creatures who would destroy the whole planet just to get their hands on me?"

The Doctor shook her head slightly. "Recognition at last," she said sarcastically.

Tesla chuckled a low laugh. One of feigning humor. And the Doctor matched it.

"You know, Mr. Tesla," Artemis started. "Better you than Edison." She shrugged.

"You do realize it's killing Edison that they want you and not him," the Doctor said, turning to look at the taller man.

Tesla smiled with what seemed like a genuine smile, but it faded soon as his mind wandered. He exhaled deeply and continued. "This place, Wardenclyffe… I was so close." All of their eyes looked out the window to the tower that stood high above them all. "People would finally see what it would do. What I can do. But now no one will ever know." He paused, thinking of the choices they had, let him get taken by the aliens, or the entire planet die. "You must all go. Let them take me."

Artemis scoffed. "You think we'd let that happen?" She turned to the Doctor and Tesla with crossed arms. "In the short time you've been with us, do we look like the type to let aliens take you for their own personal gain?" Tesla parted his mouth to speak, but Artemis silenced him once more. "The answer is no. We will not let this scavenging alien race take one of the best inventors ever."

The Doctor grinned. "Nikola Tesla, you're going to change the world. But first, you're going to save it. Now tell us all about Wardenclyffe."

Tesla looked at the women in shock but then smiled deeply. A smile full of gratitude and appreciation. With a few found glee, Tesla led them both over to a table nearby which held stacks of blueprints and readings.

Artemis turned her head at the sound of the Tardis door creaking open slowly and watched as Dorothy's head popped out cautiously. With a grin, Artemis waved her over to them, which caused the rest of the group to file out of the Tardis and over to the table.

Pulling out a rolling blueprint, Tesla cleared room on the workbench. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a pen.

"The tower works by harnessing the electric field of the Earth itself," Tesla circled the tower on the paper with the pen. Here, my magnifying transformer pumps millions of volts into this tunnel. The current races down through the Earth until it reaches the other side of the planet, and then bounces back. Then it's channeled into the tower, wave after wave after wave, and up into the air" His once blank blueprint was now filled with circles, lines, and sketches. "My intention was to build a series of these towers...transmitting energy throughout the ether, a world wireless system."

Artemis cocked her head as she looked down at the blueprint with scrutinizing eyes. She knew of what the tower's functions were. But seeing Tesla explain them in person and with a diagram was enough to make her giddy.

"But with enough power, it could be used to send a single bolt of lightning high up into the sky," the Doctor took the pen from Tesla's grasp and leaned further over the paper.

"Ah, well if we generate one large enough, it could strike the ship, like so!" Tesla watched as the Doctor drew a large bolt of lightning on top of the tower with a grin.

"Yes! High-five," the Doctor raised her hand to Tesla with a wide smile full of glee. Tesla looked at her in confusion.

Artemis chuckled as she pushed down the Doctor's hand gently and whispered in her ear. "Too early." The Doctor paused for a moment and then gaped in realization.

"In a pig's eye," a voice called out.

Artemis turned around to see Edison standing in the back of the group with disdain.

"You want to bet our lives on a contraption like this, huh? Some fantastical idea no sane man would ever invest in?"

Tesla shook his head and closed his eyes tight, breathing in sharply. He turned around to face Edison with a look of disgust and confidence.

"At least I have ideas," Tesla strode to Edison and stopped right in front of him, staring him down. "You have filled a factory full of men to do your thinking for you. Half of your inventions were thought up by other people."

"Anyone can have ideas. I make them happen," Edison rebutted. "All those men, all those inventions, I turn them from a sketch into real things people can buy. That's how you change the world. You're too blind to see that my factory is the best idea either one of us ever had."

Tesla fumed, "And you-"

"Alright," Artemis drawled. She groaned as she pushed herself from the table and walked over to the bickering men. "Stop fighting over petty things because we have the rest of the world to save." She placed her hands on each of their chests and forced them away. She frowned as she glanced between the two of them. "If you two think any more about fighting then I won't hesitate to fight back, but it won't be with words."

She pushed both of their chests back a little further before she pivoted on her heel and turned to see the Doctor gaping at her, her cheeks slightly red. Artemis cocked her head at the strange expression on the Doctor's face. She couldn't quite discern what she was thinking either.

"Why is your face all pink?" Artemis asked the Doctor innocently. She stopped right in front of the woman.

The Doctor's eyes widened and she cleared her throat, completely avoiding the question. Her eyes glanced back at the room and spoke up in a slightly wavering voice.

"We need to move quickly. We have to prepare the tower." She looked back down to the paper on the desk beside her and leaned forward, resting her hands on the table. "Here's what we're gonna do."

The Doctor, Artemis, and Tesla all worked at Wardenclyffe with the tower while the rest of them all worked on their own projects.

Yaz and Edison made sure people stayed inside their homes and buildings. And Dorothy, Ryan, and Graham found weapons and inventions to use against the aliens.

Artemis helped the Doctor bring out the box filled with the bouncers which powered many things. A series of wires, tubes, and connectors were set beside the tower, waiting to be used by eager hands. Tesla connected many wires and pipes to the tower, helping amplify the voltage in order to shoot the power to destroy the ship above.

The Doctor worked with the Tardis in order to extend the shield. Once it was done, it cast a faint blue cover around the tower and its surrounding area, protecting them all.

However, after a few hours of work and hard labor with the tower, a low hissing sound interrupted them right as they finished.

"Doctor?" Tesla's wavering voice called out. "We have company."

Artemis and the Doctor turned around to see multiple large scorpion aliens surrounding them all, hissing and screeching loudly. Their red, beady eyes staring straight at the trio, who stared back at them, fearfully.

But this fear was replaced by relief when one of them tried to move further, only to be stopped short by the shield. This caused them to bounce back harshly and made the shield glow blue where they made contact.

"Shield's working then," the Doctor sighed. "Come on!" The Doctor tugged both Tesla and Artemis toward the lab beside the tower.

The lab was dim now. Not holding the usual brightness that was caused by the many machines and inventions being lit up and glowing with energy. It was a different feeling than before. One of fear, nervousness, and anxiety. All of these feelings culminated from the aliens right out the door. Inside, the rest of the team was already preparing for the inevitable. Holding weapons, clenching fists, and staring at the door that protected them from the aliens.

"Just in time," the Doctor said out of breath as she barreled through the door. "We need to barricade the door now." She gestured to the door briefly before she tugged Artemis further from it.

"Good god," Edison whispered.

"There's too many of them!" Yaz said. Her brows furrowing and her lips quivering. But she didn't let this feeling last long as she and Edison began lifting large pieces of wood and machines, blocking them against the large door.

They all knew this wouldn't last long once they got through the shield, but it would be enough to hopefully save them.

"Well, they may have superior numbers, but we have superior minds," Tesla said, pacing around the room.

"We just have to hold them off," the Doctor said, squeezing Artemis' hand that was tightly gripped in her own. She looked over at Artemis' eyes with a question. Almost as if she was mentally asking her for help on how to fix this.

Artemis noticed this right away and gulped. "What type of species are they? They connect to their queen somehow… right?"

The Doctor pondered with this information for a moment before she gasped and pulled her hand away from Artemis'. "They're a hive species!" She waved her hands about. "So if we take out the queen…"

"We take out all of them," Yaz finished. She had done as much barricading as she could do with Edison while also listening to the Doctor and Tesla's ramblings.

"Yes!" the Doctor and Artemis shouted at the same time, causing them to stare at each for a moment with a grin.

"She's still on the ship, and, hopefully, we're about to zap her with a lot of Wardenclyffe electricity!" The Doctor looked to the group with hopeful yet worried eyes.

Artemis could see this look clearly in her eyes. A look of warning that it could go wrong if one bad step was forced underway. If one wrong action happened. And she knew that something would happen that they hadn't planned for.

"There's a but," Graham affirmed.

"Small detail," the Doctor continued. "Once we power up the tower, the Tardis shields will drop, but it will be about 30 seconds before we can blast the ship. There's not enough juice for both."

The look of disbelief and shock written on everyone's faces was enough to kill the mood in the room. Dorothy, looking the most worried as she had never experienced anything like this before. At least Tesla had the experience of seeing the aliens and their ship up close which helped him a small portion.

"We will keep them out," Artemis said, drawing all their attention to her. "Don't worry, the Doctor and I won't let anything happen to any of you guys." She smiled a reassuring grin.

The mood lifted slightly at her words. Uplifting the expressions of everyone, especially Dorothy, who looked on Artemis with a soft smile.

"Ready?" the Doctor asked Tesla and Artemis.

Tesla sighed out but straightened his back in confirmation. Artemis nodded with a serious expression and stepped toward the Tardis, the two others following behind her.

Inside, all three of them prepared the Tardis for the bolt of energy needed to shoot the ship in the sky. They all grunted and groaned as they forced all their strength into the heavy wheels as they cranked them.

The sweat only lasted a few more moments as a bright blue glow of energy flowed from the Tardis console, into the tubing, and out to the tower. The entire Tardis' hue turned from burnt orange to a light blue glow as more and more energy was pumped out to the tower.

"It's working," Tesla said as he read the measurements of the energy on a hand-held machine.

On the same screen which showed a reading of the orb of Thassor before, now showed an image of the tower outside the lab. The tall structure was now glowing bright blue with energy and sizzled at the power held within it.

"The tower's charging," the Doctor said. "Nearly there. Get ready out there!" she called out to the group inside the lab. "Shields are about to drop!"

They all held weapons and machines, prepared to fight the aliens once they broke through the blocked door. Graham stood in front with a machine Tesla made called a Death Ray. A low hum came from the other side of the door as the shields dropped, letting the aliens come even closer to the lab and the people inside.

The tension in the room was so dense with worry and fear as they heard the screeches and hisses of the aliens as they ran closer to the lab's front door. The front door thudded with bodies hitting them as the aliens tried to force their way into the lab.

"Shield's down! Few more seconds!" the Doctor tried to reassure them.

"We ain't got a few seconds, Doc!" Graham shouted back, his grip on the death ray quivering. The wood blocking the handle of the door creaked and cracked with the force of the bodies hitting it and clawing their way through.

"What?" the Doctor exclaimed, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Signal coming from the Skithra ship." She glanced up at the screen with a look of shock.

Artemis gulped, knowing what had happened. Her eyes trailed to the doors of the Tardis as she heard the doors of the lab being blasted open.

"We can't blast the ship because the queen's no longer on it," the Doctor whispered, staring at the screen.

Artemis and the Doctor both rushed out the doors of the Tardis to see the alien queen herself threaten the group. A fury flowed through the Doctor's veins as she saw the danger her companions were being put through. With a deep and demanding voice, the Doctor said, "Stop!"

The aliens' attention flickered to the Doctor as she grinned a sinister smile.

"If you want Tesla, you have to go through me," the Doctor said confidently.

"Us," Artemis corrected as she tapped the DOctor on her shoulder.

"Doctor, did you really think I'd let you hide away down here, hatching your little plans?" The alien's demeanor was enough to make Artemis shiver, let alone the terrifying face and sharp teeth she held. She trailed over to the Doctor and Artemis, eyeing them up and down as she circled them ominously.

"If I'd known we were going to have a royal visit, I'd have put the kettle on," the Doctor said.

Artemis snorted at this rebuttal but looked back to eye the table beside her. A table filled with machinery and inventions. One of them being the bouncer. As soon as she saw this, a memory came to her head. The Doctor needed this in order to send the queen back to her ship. But it was too far away for her to reach it herself, unlike in the show. Another form of the timeline being messed up.

Letting the Doctor and the queen circle each other, eyeing each other up and down, Artemis slowly backed up to the table and gripped the bouncer behind her back. Her hands touched the cold metal of the device as she waited for the moment to throw it.

Her mind went blank as she zoned out. She thought of other things at the moment. The fear of messing it up, the fear of ruining the timeline, and killing them all. Fear of failure.

She gulped as her eyes stared at the ground in front of her, but her mind was brought back to reality as she saw the Doctor getting restrained by the Skithra. They held her arms behind her back, her sonic in her hand, and the queen chuckled at her weak defenses.

Artemis breathed in deeply, knowing it was now or never.

"Hey Skithra queen!" she shouted.

The queen's narrowed eyes met Artemis' wide ones as she hissed. "What."

Artemis only grinned as she threw the bouncer at the alien. "Catch," she said confidently.

The queen caught the device with one hand as she peered down at it in curiosity. She cackled as she held up the device to her eye, inspecting it closely.

"What is this? Another device to add to my collection?" She hissed out.

"No," Artemis said. The Doctor craned her head as far back as it went, trying to see Artemis. "It's a device that'll help us win. Doctor!"

The Doctor spent no more time wondering what the device was. She knew in her gut that Artemis had thrown her the bouncer, but this feeling was tested when the Doctor, with one hand, scanned the bouncer with the sonic.

The queen snarled and hissed as she was teleported back onto the ship in a red glow.

"Tesla, now!" the Doctor shouted.

From inside the Tardis, Tesla pushed the final button, letting a shock wave of energy flowing through the tower and out into the air, striking the ship above with the queen in it. The aliens in the lab slowly disappeared into the ship with the queen as it filled with lightning.

Artemis held onto the Doctor as the alien that once trapped her, disappeared. She sighed in relief at her well-being.

The morning following the attack, the Doctor and her companions prepared to leave for good. Saying their goodbyes and exchanging hugs.

Yaz followed the Doctor and Artemis as they waited beside a building in the city streets.

"Now, this all changes, right? The protests, the funding. Tesla's tower just saved the world! That's gotta mean rich and famous," Yaz said.

Artemis frowned, knowing that nothing would change. Only they knew of what happened last night and how amazing Tesla was. The rest of the world would see him as nothing more than a crazy inventor with no funds.

"No. Nothing's changed," the Doctor admitted with a sigh. "A few years from now, Wardenclyffe is torn down. Tesla keeps on inventing, but no money, no fame. He dies penniless. History leaves him behind. But his vision of wireless energy, that does happen, a connected world, and that idea starts here, with him." The Doctor ended on a happy note. She had wanted Tesla to get the recognition he deserved but knew the consequences of the timeline would be too great.

Yaz frowned. "That's not right. People should know."

"Either way, it doesn't change what he's done."

Yaz had always been the type to try to get the best out of people, and maybe that's why Artemis liked the girl so much. But Artemis knew that the future and the past couldn't be altered in the way that Yaz wanted.

"Doctor? Artemis?" Tesla's voice called from behind.

Artemis turned over her shoulder with a wide smile and Doctor, too, followed suit.

"You have to let me study that machine of yours. It is by far the most magnificent invention I've ever seen in my life."

"Never mind the Tardis, you've got enough magnificent inventions of your own," she assured the inventor.

"Yes. Yes, you're right. You're right, of course. There's so much to be done. Thank you. Thank you, all," Tesla spoke meekly, holding his hands behind his back.

Artemis smiled softly at the man. He was as amazing in person as she thought he would be. A brilliant mind in a city full of imposters. A man of great talent and intelligence. But she already knew someone who sounded like that description.

"Don't give up," the Doctor said.

"Whatever anyone says," Yaz said as she leaned forward.

"Keep growing and inventing brilliant things," Artemis said with a smile. "The world needs more people like you in it. People that aren't afraid to find new ways to solve problems and people that aren't afraid to fail."

"Well, let them talk. The present is theirs. I work for the future. And the future is mine," Tesla said before he turned over his shoulder, and walked away.

The Doctor and her companions were exhausted. Although Time Lords don't need as much sleep as humans, it didn't mean that they didn't get tired too.

Artemis had already changed out of her time-period clothing into a much more comfortable pair of loose shorts and a t-shirt. She had almost gone to bed immediately when she heard a noise come from the console room.

Treading down the stairs quietly, she spotted the Doctor under the console of the Tardis, tinkering with the wires. Her blonde hair was sticking up in places and the goggles on her face were sliding down slowly as if they were too big for her head.

Clearing her throat as she stood beside the console, Artemis rested an arm on her side.

In a surprise, the Doctor popped her head out from underneath, only to gape up at Artemis, who stood above her with her hip popped out. The Doctor brushed off her chest and stood up, straightening to Artemis' level.

"What are you doing?" Artemis asked, nodding her head to the console.

"Oh, I-"

"You're trying to get the Tardis to go back to it's wheezing aren't you?" Artemis interrupted the Doctor.

The Doctor gulped, and parted her lips, only for Artemis to laugh.

"It's fine, I knew that you would eventually want to change her back."

The Doctor's worried expression changed into one of relief at her words.

"You know, I find it funny that-" Artemis' words were cut off by the feeling of heat and pain emanating from the locket against her chest. She groaned as she doubled over, gripping the chain of it.

"It's time already?" Artemis grunted out. The heat grew like a forest fire, consuming her whole body. She could barely feel through the pain that the Doctor placed a gentle hand on her back, rubbing it reassuringly.

"It's okay," the Doctor said. "You'll-"

But before the Doctor could finish her sentence, the fire overtook Artemis' body, casting a bright glow over her as her body transported through time and space.

Artemis winced in pain as she felt her legs touch solid ground again, but her legs felt so heavy that they seemed like someone had attached lead to them. Grasping at the railing beside her, Artemis opened her eyes slowly. She took in her surroundings and noticed the familiar interior of the 10th Doctor. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard the voice of the Doctor call out to her.

"Artemis?"

A strong grip straightened her back and helped her to the chair beside her. Her eyes squinted up in the dim lighting to see the handsome face of the 10th Doctor staring back at her in worry.

* * *

~A/N~

Ahhhh I hope this chapter was good enough? I kinda got writer block halfway through so iibaicubbiaybdiausn. You know?


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